Farewell Mrs Aldous

Rae Aldous, Executive Headteacher of Westwood Primary School and Grove Primary School, hands the baton of headship at the schools to long-serving colleagues 

Westwood Primary School & Grove Primary School.in Lowestoft, part of the Active Learning Trust, held a special ceremony to say goodbye to Rae Aldous, who has led the school for 13 years. Eight of these years were spent as Executive Headteacher.

At Westwood, the trust has appointed Lauraine Barnes, who has been at the school for 10 years and is currently Head of School, to the post of headteacher. 

At Grove, current Head of School, Rachel Kounnas, has been appointed Headteacher after five years at the school.

Mrs Aldous is moving on to take up the post of Director of Primary for The Active Learning Trust and so will remain very much involved with both schools.

Outgoing head of Westwood Primary School, Rae Aldous, said: “I am delighted to pass on the roles of headteacher to Mrs Barnes and Mrs Kounnas, who have been highly committed members of staff at Westwood and Grove for many years.

“It is a great pleasure for me to leave these amazing schools in their capable hands and I know that they will go on from strength to strength under their leadership.

“I am very pleased that I will still see our wonderful Westwood and Grove pupils and their families regularly as part of my new role and I look forward to continuing to make sure our children feel valued and can thrive and prosper.”

Lauraine Barnes, new headteacher of Westwood Primary School, said: “I am very proud to be appointed as headteacher of Westwood and look forward to continuing working with our amazing community here. 

“It is a great pleasure to lead a wonderful team of professionals who are fully committed to nurturing, caring for and educating our pupils.”

Rachel Kounnas, new headteacher of Grove Primary School, said: “It has been such a privilege to have been part of Grove’s journey for the past five years and I am delighted to now be the headteacher of this wonderful school”.

Lynsey Holzer, CEO of the Active Learning Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Rae to her new role and look forward to the professional skills and knowledge that she will continue to bring to our trust team.

“We wish Lauraine and Rachel all the very best as they take up the headships at Westwood and Grove and know that their intimate knowledge of the schools brings stability and a wealth of experience, ensuring a smooth transition.”