At the end of March, we said farewell to Victoria Parr, who left her role as Headteacher at Darras Hall Primary School to take up a new position as Primary School Improvement Lead at a large and well-respected large Trust in the north-east.

Victoria has dedicated the past 12 years to Darras Hall, including 9 years as Headteacher. She took on the role during a period of significant change as part of the school reorganisation in Ponteland, navigating the complexities of the transition with resilience, clarity and care. Since then, her leadership has been nothing short of outstanding.

Under Victoria’s leadership, Darras Hall has strengthened and provided excellent education to students, which was noted in the last Outstanding Ofsted inspection in 2023. CEO Kieran McGrane says, “Since her appointment, Victoria has proved to be a fantastic school leader and has continually strived to make the school a great place to work, teach and study.”

While we bid farewell to Victoria with gratitude, we are equally delighted to welcome Rebecca McVittie, who will be joining Darras Hall Primary School as Headteacher after the Easter break.

Rebecca brings with her a wealth of experience and a clear passion for primary education. She joins us from The Sele First School in Hexham, where she was Headteacher, and has previously served as Deputy Headteacher at West Jesmond Primary School in Newcastle. Her commitment to nurturing the whole child, encouraging creativity, and celebrating individuality shines so much that she was the unanimous choice of all involved in the recruitment process. 

Rebecca shares, “I’m absolutely delighted to be joining Darras Hall Primary School as Headteacher from 28th April. The school has a fantastic reputation, a strong identity, and a real sense of creativity and ambition. I’m very much looking forward to getting to know the children, staff and families, and to working together to continue the excellent work already underway. This is a school at the heart of its community, I feel very proud and privileged to become a part of it.”

We are excited to welcome Rebecca into the Pele Trust family and to see her build on the brilliant work of her predecessor. With her values-driven approach and dedication to high quality education, the future at Darras Hall Primary School looks bright.