Students at Burscough's Priory Science College have been issued with an exciting challenge for the future by their incoming head teacher.

Ms Catherine Edens, who starts her new job in April, has asked them to design a new school logo to symbolise the 'High Aspiration' culture and her determination they 'reach for the stars'.

In a recent meeting with the student council, she challenged the students to identify their priorities and 'wish lists' for the future.

She told QLocal: "I am so impressed by all of the students in our school as they are polite, welcoming, hard-working young people who are eager to make a positive impact not just on their school but on their community.

"They are rightly very proud of their school and their teachers and are keen to work closely with staff to help drive forward our ambitious aims for the future."

During the weeks prior to taking up her post, Ms Edens is visiting the school from her current job as a Headteacher and Vice Principal of three schools within a high achieving academy cited recently by David Cameron as an example to other schools due to the outstanding achievement of students over the last few years.

In a recent address to staff and governors, she identified the existing outstanding aspects of the school and the determination of its staff to embrace the future with high aspirations for students.

"There is a real buzz of excitement around the whole school and we are very much looking forward to April when our new Head joins us permanently," said one teacher after the new Head's initial visit.

Ms Edens has recently completed extensive research on schools that break records and accelerate student achievement not just in London but in the US, and is keen to develop the existing good practice in Priory High.

In the coming weeks, parents and carers will be approached for feedback and invited to a welcome event at the school to hear about future plans and to take part in setting priorities for development.

"We are very keen to develop even closer links with all our parents as we work together to provide the very best experiences for our children," said Ms. Edens.

"We 're planning many new initiatives to involve parents and look forward to hearing their views and working side by side with them to make Priory High even better for the benefit of our students and for the whole community.

"We have the highest ambitions for our young people as they deserve the best", she concluded.

Good Luck to Ms Edens in her new job.As her role in taking on headship, I would like her to look into the wearing of School uniform. At the moment they wear Tank-tops and a Blazer all through school, surely it would be better for them to wear Sweaters in the winter months when its cold and Tank-tops in the Summer with the allowance of removing Blazers if they are too hot.Also couldn`t they provide somewhere for the children to leave their coats, most of them go to school in all weather without a coat as there is no-where to put them and they are too heavy to carry round classrooms with them. I`m sure the children would appreciate these changes as would the parents.

The children do have somewhere to hang their coats.

Each child at the school should be allocated a locker to put their belongings inside. My son has to carry two bags around with him all day, because there is nowhere to leave them. The weight of the bags is horrendous, which could leave some children with back problems in later life. The school should put some thought into this issue begore spending time and money on a new school emblem/badge.

Firstly, tell you son to man up. I went to Birkdale where there were no lockers for students, so we just got on with it without moaning and acting as though we were disadvantaged.
There are African kids who have not eaten in weeks, so your son having to carry his bags isn't much of an issue
- if you're so bothered, have a parents group raise the cash, rather than moaning on the internet about it. Come up with solutions, not problems.