LARGS Academy is searching for a new head teacher after one of its hardest working servants retired from the role.

Heather Burns called time at the school having successfully overseen the transition from the old building on Flatt Road into the new state-of-the-art Largs Campus on Alexander Avenue.

Despite the difficulties the move presented, the recently published school league tables named the academy as the 27th best performing school in Scotland.

Heather got the chance to meet First Minister Nicola Sturgeon when she visited to make the official campus opening.

In a newsletter to parents, Heather said she was proud of the role she had played during her 11 years at the school.

She added: "We moved into the new campus last March and have never looked back.

"The academic year 2018-19 was our first full school year in the new campus and it was a busy and eventful one.

"At Largs Academy we strive to maintain high standards and improve on those areas where we are developing our practice. We continue to focus on evaluating our work and maintaining a strong emphasis on learning and teaching, on strategies to improve attainment, on developing effective pathways to support all pupils.

"Our staff work hard to maintain strong partnerships with parents, outside agencies and community groups because we believe these relationships are essential to the success of the school.

"Our new campus is providing even greater opportunities for excellence and closer collaboration with our primary and early years’ colleagues; our SQA (Scottish Qualifying Authority) results continue to improve, and this session we are delighted to see more pupils achieving national qualifications than ever before. "

Heather joined as depute head in January 2008 and succeeded Arthur Jones in the top job in August 2012.

She added: "I was conscious of the magnitude of the task I was taking on, but confident that I was inheriting a school which had been in safe hands and was in good shape. I am very proud of my school and feel privileged to have led it over the last sevent years as we have gone through many changes and faced many challenges.

"There have been some very sad times and tough times, but the response from the school community has always been the same. We remained resilient and have always pulled together, emerging stronger than before. The support of parents, other school partners and friends is also a strength of this school, but the real success has always been with the young people.

"I wish my successor the best of luck, as they continue to do their best for this community and for the next generation of Largs Academy pupils."

During Heather's time, Largs Academy has excelled in sport, winning a prestigious gold national award from sportscotland for innovation and achievement in delivering physical education and extra-curricular sport.

Pupil Abby Kane won silver in swimming at the Paralympics, while Largs Academy also won an Ayrshire schoolboys' football final.

A spokesman for the school said: "Barry Wilson is currently acting head, and interviews for a permanent head will be taking place in the coming weeks."

Largs Academy is the secondary school which serves the town of Largs and the surrounding areas, the villages of Fairlie, Skelmorlie and the island of Cumbrae.

There are four associated primary schools: Largs, Cumbrae, Fairlie and Skelmorlie Primaries. We also receive the majority of P7 pupils from St Mary’s Primary. In addition, there is a small inflow of pupils as a result of placing requests, producing a school roll just over 1,000.