The Department of Education and Children is pleased to announce that Karen Riordan has been appointed headteacher of Ashley Hill Primary School with effect from January 2013.
 
Mrs Riordan has been deputy headteacher at the 316-pupil school since 2007.
 
She succeeds Linda Smith, who has headed the school for seven years and who retires at Christmas after 39 years in teaching.
 
Mrs Riordan said: ‘I am delighted to be taking over as headteacher of Ashley Hill and continuing to develop opportunities so that our children enjoy their time at school. Ashley Hill is a fantastic school with great children, committed colleagues and supportive parents and governors.’
 
Born and educated in Cheshire, Mrs Riordan gained a B.Ed degree with music at St Martin’s College in Lancaster.
 
She moved to the Isle of Man in 1988 after marrying and worked in the finance sector before commencing her teaching career at Murray’s Road Junior School in 1991. She has worked at Dhoon and Arbory primary schools, Fairfield Junior School and Ballaquayle Infants’ School, gaining experience teaching primary children of all ages. During the last two years, she has been involved with developing the Manx Quality Award in schools and early years settings.
 
Mrs Riordan is married to Lindsay, also a primary school teacher, and they have a daughter, Hannah, who is studying sport and exercise science at the University of Cumbria, and sons, Joshua and Juan, 16, and Samuel, 12, who go to St Ninian’s High School.
 
She is a member of Broadway Baptist Church and enjoys music and drama. She will be a familiar face to Gaiety Theatre-goers.