A TEACHER from Dumbarton has been appointed as the head of two prestigious junior schools in Glasgow.

Linda MacBeath will be the first to lead Kelvinside Academy’s new junior school, while also overseeing Craigholme Junior School in Pollokshields on Glasgow’s south side.

Her new role represents the next steps in the partnership between the academy and Craigholme, which operate under the banner of the Glasgow Schools Trust.

Linda takes on a combined role at both independent schools after previously holding the positions of depute and then acting head of Colgrain Primary in Helensburgh.

She was head girl at the now closed Keil School in Dumbarton, completed a postgraduate certificate in education at Southampton University and began her teaching career in Manchester.

The 37-year-old then taught at Lomond School in Helensburgh and occupied a senior leadership role at Cardross Primary.

Linda said: “This is an incredibly exciting challenge. I feel like it’s a perfect fit for me as the environments at both Craigholme and Kelvinside are perfect for innovation and creativity.

“When applying for the role, I found it especially appealing that outdoor learning was such a key focus as I believe it plays a major role in the healthy development of children.

“The resources and facilities at the trust’s disposal, including a new wilderness campus in the Cairngorms, are fantastic and I feel very privileged to start this journey.

“I look forward to working with our pupils and building strong parental relationships.”

Craigholme School’s existing junior school will become co-educational for the first time this year, in line with its nursery school.

The senior school will retain its single sex status with boys transitioning to Kelvinside Academy for their senior years.

Ian Munro, executive headmaster of the Glasgow Schools Trust and rector at Kelvinside Academy, said: “Linda is incredibly creative and her unique approach to education really excited us from the outset.