An east Cambs school has broken with tradition by appointing two ‘head’ students for the coming academic year.

Witchford Village College put all applicants through a gruelling interview process with all 150 year 10 cohorts from the 860 pupil school being invited to apply.

Interim principal Robert Campbell said: “We were overwhelmed by the standard of applicants, all of whom did exceptionally well in the interviews.”

He said that following the application process and gruelling interviews the college had appointed two ‘head’ students – Abigail Wells and Scarlett Ambrose - for the senior prefect roles with a further two boys and two girls becoming their deputies.

Mr Campbell said the interview process and selection was “an excellent experience and challenge for us.”

He said: “We used a scoring system which resulted in Scarlett and Abigail getting appointed.

“They will do a great job over the coming year and will be very capably supported by their deputy head boys and girls, as well as the prefects that we will be recruiting in the month ahead.”

The acting principal said a job description and person specification was issued and those who were interviewed were assessed against the criteria in the same way that someone might be evaluated for a new job.

He said the standard of application and interview was high and presented the panel of three senior staff, including himself, with a serious challenge.

“Ultimately it was unanimous in following its scoring system which resulted in Scarlett and Abigail securing the posts of head girl,” he said.

Mr Campbell, who is also chief executive of the Morris Education Trust, will effectively return to the ‘day’ job later this month.

On June 25 Dan Baxby begins work as the new principal and will oversee the implementation and the progression to vertical tutoring for September, which will see mixed age teaching for all.’

Mr Baxby will replace the previous principal Chris Terry who left for personal reasons after four successful years.

The trust said Mr Baxby “impressed all with his vision, strategy, expectations and track record of improvement in his current position as vice-principal at Wrenn Academy, Wellingborough”.

Originally from Yorkshire, Dan is a business graduate and has worked in a number of schools across the region, including time as senior assistant head and head of sixth form at Prince William School, Oundle.

The father of two is an avid road cyclist, a keen traveller and sports fan.

He said Witchford has “huge potential for the future and everyone is excited for the journey ahead”.