A primary school has welcomed a new head teacher three years after its previous head died from cancer.

Hannah Smith is now head of school at Milstead and Frinsted Church of England Primary, near Sittingbourne, as part of a focused new leadership team.

It comes after the school’s previous head teacher Katherine Baker, described as "a kind, caring, wonderful person", died in August 2021.

At the time David Whitehead, chief executive of Our Community Multi Academy Trust, said the entire school community had been left "utterly devastated" by her death.

A spokesperson for the school explained that stability at the primary has been fully restored following her passing with a renewed focus on governance and achievement from joining Our Community Multi Academy Trust (OCMAT)

Mrs Smith was previously assistant head teacher at Bapchild CofE School.

This month she joined Scott Guy, the former head teacher at oversubscribed Petham Primary School in Canterbury, who has taken over as executive head teacher at both schools.

Mrs Smith is said to bring a wealth of experience to the role and one of her first priorities is to build on the Christian vision of the school while embracing the learning environment in which the school sits.

Milstead and Frinsted is a small, village primary school on the outskirts of Sittingbourne with four classes from Reception through to Year 6.

She said: “The school is entering an exciting new period and I have had a wonderful start at Milstead and Frinsted.

“I have enjoyed meeting with the staff, parents, children and Local Monitoring Council to gather their thoughts about the future of the school.

“I have worked quickly to begin this process in order to write a clear Christian vision for the community to work towards.

“My core drivers in leadership are creating communities, staff development and communication.

“I have come from a local primary, where I have worked for 12 years and have a background in building teams and whole curriculum development.”

Mrs Smith has also worked in developing an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum for Kent as an EYFS specialist.

She added: “I have set up a school-based nursery and worked with a range of stakeholders to ensure high-quality EYFS education for all.

“I am passionate about working within a church school and the ethos that creates among the community and am a firm believer in the values that are created within a church school that serve our pupils for life.

“I’m excited to be part of Milstead and Frinsted's journey in creating the vision.”

Mr Guy said the school was “delighted” to welcome Mrs Smith to its community.

He said: “She comes with a vast amount of knowledge and experience which will enable the school to grow further and provide all children with the fantastic curriculum and memorable experiences they deserve.”