Atlas Academy in Doncaster, part of Astrea Academy Trust, is delighted with the appointment of a new principal to lead the school forward, after it recently received a glowing Ofsted report.

Melisha Trotman took up the post of Atlas Academy principal at the start of this term.

The mother-of six said she loved the school the moment she set foot in it and believes her appointment at Atlas is “meant to be”.

Mrs Trotman was born in Bolton, where she grew up with her parents and five siblings, before moving to London at the age of 18 to attend university.

She has 20 years’ experience teaching in inner London schools and was approached by a London borough to work as a super-head, after she turned around a school that was in “special measures” to the top Ofsted grade of “outstanding” in just 15 months.

Mrs Trotman was then headhunted to work at a British school in India, where she worked for seven years developing and improving the curriculum, as well as training the next generation of teachers.

She also worked for six months at a British school in Lagos, Nigeria, before returning to the UK last year for family reasons.

When she and her husband were thinking about where to live in the UK, Mrs Trotman’s best friend of 30 years, who lives in Doncaster, attracted her to the area - and the rest is history.

Atlas Academy was rated as good across the board in an Ofsted inspection last term, with inspectors saying the school is one where “everybody is proud of the community they have created”.

Now the school is set to go from strength to strength with the appointment of Mrs Trotman who has such a wealth of experience and leadership skills.

Principal of Atlas Academy, Melisha Trotman, said: “When I came into Atlas Academy, I warmed to the place immediately and felt a real sense of belonging. There is such a mix of cultures here and I knew that I could make a difference.

“I was also very impressed with the staff who were all so enthusiastic and wanted to make a real difference to the children’s lives.

“Over the course of my headship, I want to make sure that every child has the chance to succeed and is ready for the next stage in life. I feel this is so important and that, as educators, we can contribute to that in a very significant way.

“I intend to build on the strong base we already have here and build on the strong community links and the parent partnerships that we already have and expand what we offer to the local area.

“I would also love to put on more cultural events and celebrate the diversity of our school community.”

Chief executive officer of Astrea Academy Trust, Rowena Hackwood, said: “We are delighted with the appointment of Melisha to Atlas Academy and we look forward to seeing the school continue to excel under her skilled leadership.

“Her track record in improving outcomes for all children is incredibly impressive, aligning completely with our determination as a trust to see our pupils learn, thrive and lead successful lives.”