AN INDEPENDENT school whose headmistress suddenly resigned has today appointed a new person to take it forward.

AN INDEPENDENT school whose headmistress suddenly resigned has today appointed a new person to take it forward.

Staff and parents at Amberfield at Nacton were left shocked after Helen Kay left in mid-year after just three years at the school.

No reasons were given for her unexpected decision and staff said it was “a bit out of the blue”.

Now Amberfield School has announced the appointment of Linda Ingram as its new headmistress, starting her role with the new term in September.

Originally from East Anglia, Mrs Ingram has been a successful head of the junior school at Amberfield.

Prior to this she was senior teacher at St Mary's, Woodbridge, and has 25 years' teaching experience across the three to 18 age range.

Mrs Ingram has a husband Mark, and they have three children, Natasha, who is about to study at Loughborough University, Francesca who is currently at Amberfield, and Jack who just joined Woodbridge School.

A spokeswoman for the school said they were delighted with the appointment. Mrs Ingram was “enthusiastic and energetic” and ready to embrace the challenges of single-sex education for girls and move Amberfield into a new and exciting future.

Mrs Ingram has been acting as interim headmistress since Mrs Kay left in April on a leave of absence for the summer term while seeking a fresh challenge.

Mrs Kay, a maths teacher, took over as headmistress in 2005 from Louise Amphlett Lewis.

She was previously deputy head at the City of London School for Girls in the Barbican London.

She has a mathematics degree and trained as a teacher after deciding against a career in business in the 1970s.

Many people were impressed with her record and commitment to Amberfield and parents said their children had made good progress, but some staff said Mrs Kay's stay had been an uneasy one with several staff unhappy at changes she put in place at the 300-pupil school.

In a tribute to Mrs Kay when her leaving was announced, school governors said she brought many good things to Amberfield and implemented initiatives the school has been encouraged to introduce following its last inspection as well as putting into operation good practices widespread in current education.

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