Ramsey's infant and junior schools are to come under the leadership of a single headteacher.

From September, Jacqueline Barrow, headteacher at Scoill Ree Gorree since 2009, will also take charge of Auldyn Infants’ School.

The schools sit side by side in Lezayre Road, Ramsey, and children progress from the infants to the juniors at the age of seven.

Mrs Barrow will combine the schools into a single primary over the next two years. Every opportunity will be taken to involve parents and pupils in the planning.

The Department took a similar step to bring an infant and junior school under a single headteacher in the spring term when Linda Green, headteacher at Ballaquayle Infants’, took the helm at Murray’s Road Junior, too, after the latter’s head returned to classroom teaching.

Meanwhile, Ballacloan Infants’ School and Fairfield Junior School, to which the infants progress, will come together as a single primary from 2015 when the new school opens on the old Noble’s Hospital site.

Current Auldyn headteacher Chrissy Callaghan spends part of her time in a school support role with the Department’s Education Improvement Service (EIS) and she will undertake this role full-time from September 2012.

A post within EIS has been unfilled since Ian Longshaw moved to be head of Marown School last summer.

Mr Dobson said: ‘We are drawing on the strengths of two very experienced and highly respected headteachers.

‘Mrs Barrow, who was headteacher at Ballasalla before taking over at Ree Gorree, is ideally placed to bring the two schools together, having lived in Ramsey for more than 30 years and having worked at both Auldyn and Ree Gorree’s predecessor, Albert Road, before their moves to the buildings they now occupy.

‘Mrs Callaghan came back to the Island after gaining both headship experience and working as a school improvement adviser in England, which makes her ideal to join the Department’s team of staff who support schools and quality assure education.’