A SOUTHAMPTON headteacher has been appointed to a top role where she will help to support struggling schools.

Thornhill Primary School head Kerry Harris is among 70 school chiefs from across the country to be named as a National Leader of Education (NLE).

Now she and her staff will help out staff in other schools which are deemed to be in need of extra support or guidance.

Mrs Harris was deputy headteacher when the school was named as the most improved in the country in 2012 and then took over from former head Ellen Humphries.

The school has improved every year since and this year's results included 100 per cent of year six students achieving level four grades.

Now the school has been designated as a National Support School (NSS) following its recent success and staff will help to advise other schools and provide extra leadership if needed.

NLEs are called upon to help schools in need of support or those which are moving to federation or academy status.

The type of support can vary and sometimes sees the NLE take over as executive headteacher while they are also responsible for developing headteachers and schools to be future NLEs and NSSs.

Mrs Harris said: “I am delighted to become a National Leader of education. Thornhill Primary school is incredibly outward-facing and we champion supporting other schools.

"I am really excited about sharing our excellent practice and working collaboratively so other schools can achieve excellence for all their pupils, as we have done and continue to do at Thornhill Primary."

She will now take part in a formal training and induction event in October before she takes on her new responsibilities in earnest

Charlie Taylor, the chief executive of the National College for Teaching and Leadership, said: “It’s great that heads like Kerry are willing to look beyond their own school gates to help more and more pupils achieve.

"We now have well over 1,000 National Leaders of Education and their efforts are at the heart of a self-improving, school-led education system.

“School-to-school support is having a growing impact with benefits for both the schools being supported and those providing the support.”