A NEW head teacher has been welcomed at a Weymouth primary school with a special ceremony.

Diana Mason was commissioned as head teacher at St John's Church of England Primary School during a special worship assembly.

She was presented a Bible from the Diocese to mark the celebration.

Mrs Mason said: "I am delighted to be leading such a wonderful school with a strong Christian ethos. Everyone in the school works really hard to provide the best possible education for the children in our care."

The new head teacher has 23 years' experience of teaching in Dorset schools.

She first taught at Cranborne Middle School in Wimborne in 1975, then worked as a supply teacher at various local schools.

Mrs Mason secured a teaching post at St Osmund's CE Middle School, Dorchester for 16 years before starting at St John's school as deputy head teacher in January 2003 where she has been acting head teacher since John Horrell's retirement at the end of last summer.

There have only been three previous head teachers at St John's school since it opened.

William Bennett was the first head teacher of the combined infants, girls and boys schools from 1947-1966, Douglas Wigglesworth took over from 1966-1989 and Mr Horrell led the school from 1989-2007.

All of the head teachers have enjoyed worshipping at St John's Church and have maintained the strong Christian links between the church and the school.

Mrs Mason is married to fellow head teacher Stephen Mason of St Augustine's Primary School in Weymouth and they have four grown up daughters, one of whom continues the family tradition of teachers by teaching at Sandford First School as an assistant head teacher.

Mrs Mason comes from a 'teaching' family. Her grandmother and both parents were teachers and she has three sisters who are also teachers.