A MUCH-MISSED former primary school teacher inspired this year’s Head Girl at North Berwick High School to apply for the role.

Grace Holling was recently named Head Girl and was moved to put her name forward after attending the funeral of former Law Primary School teacher Alison Barbour.

Mrs Barbour died in 2015 after battling cancer, and 17-year-old Grace told the Courier: “At her funeral they said that she had been Head Girl.

“That really made me want to put my name forward.”

Grace is joined in the school’s senior leadership team by fellow North Berwick residents David Sanderson, who is Head Boy, and Heather Wightman, who has taken on the role of Deputy Head Girl. The Depute Head Boy is Struan Donachie, who lives in Gullane.

And Heather is following in the footsteps of her elder sister Isla, who was Head Girl in 2014/15.

She told the Courier: “I really wanted to give something back to the school.

“We’ve been given so many opportunities and I just thought it would be nice to do something.”

The quartet were focused on reforming the school’s house points system and forging better links with the community during their year in the roles.

Grace said: “We actually had a meeting [last Wednesday] about how to change the house points – we’re going to get coins and have a display at the front of the school so that people will be able to see how well their house is doing.”

And Struan, also 17, added: “Just now it’s quite informal – the cup is awarded at the prizegiving but only the senior pupils go.”

Meanwhile, David explained how the quartet’s appointments were confirmed by then headteacher Lauren Rodger.

He said: “We had to write an application and then give a speech in front of the whole sixth year and the teachers, then a couple of days later Mrs Rodger called us in to her office.”

Grace said: “I remember she read out my name first: there was such a sense of relief.”

While the experience was somewhat different for Heather, who said: “I was at a university open day in Glasgow so I got a message on my phone telling me.”

The quartet are hopeful they make a real contribution to school life before heading to university next year.

can give something back to the school in their final year, with plans to head to universities waiting in 12 months’ time.