PUPILS and staff from a village school have taken part in a church service to give an official welcome to their new headteacher.

Celia Wilson was welcomed to Marwood Infant School, in Great Ayton, at a ceremony at Christ Church involving the school's 56 pupils, teach- ing staff, governors and residents.

Mrs Wilson was also presented with a Bible by diocesan representative Viv Todd.

She replaces Vivienne Smith, who retired in July, two months after the school was awarded an Ofsted report ranking it as outstanding in all categories.

Her previous school, Holy Trinity Rosehill Infants, Stockton, also received top marks from Ofsted while she was deputy head.

She said: "I am looking forward to borrowing the best bits of what we achieved at Holy Trinity Rosehill and using those fresh approaches and ideas to build on the excellent work already done by Mrs Smith and all the staff here."

Mrs Wilson, 44, taught for ten years at St Patrick's School in Fairfield, Stockton, and for six years at St Joseph's, Norton, before becoming deputy head at Holy Trinity Infants and helping with its successful amalgamation with Holy Trinity Juniors last year.