The headteacher of a Bury St Edmunds secondary school is leaving to take up a position “closer to home”.

Kate Pereira will be stepping down as headteacher of St Benedict’s Catholic School from Easter to lead St John Fisher High School in Peterborough from May.

Her successor at St Benedict’s is yet to be appointed, but she said they would want to ensure the school “remains the special place that it is”.

She said: “My decision has been very difficult to make as I have been made very welcome and have been supported by the whole community. St Benedict’s is and will remain a very special place where children flourish and grow.”

She said she knows St John Fisher High School “very well”, having previously worked there as assistant head for eight years until leaving in August 2015.

“The school is in the same Diocese of East Anglia and I will continue to network with other headteachers of Catholic schools across our Diocese,” she added.

Anne Mansfield, chair of governors, said: “I am very sorry that Mrs Pereira is leaving however I do understand her reasons.

“Under her leadership St Benedict’s has gone from strength to strength.

“As a school we are very blessed to have an excellent senior leadership team and staff, both teaching and non-teaching who will continue to make St Benedict’s a centre of excellence ensuring that young people achieve their very best within a caring Christian community.”

Ms Pereira said over the past two years she had brought the school community through the period of post-school reorganisation, becoming a split-site school and through a successful Ofsted inspection.

She said she had also put in place “substantial changes to the leadership and management of St Benedict’s, at all levels, to improve teaching and learning, including significant changes in supporting students with special needs”.

She added: “I have, in addition, ensured that the students have access to the best curriculum available to them by changing the way the timetable and the school day are set up.

“I have also worked hard to ensure that the staff workload is reduced and appropriate, whilst, at the same time, making sure that the experience for each student is excellent. Throughout this period, I have been supported by an outstanding team of staff, governors and parents.”