Just hours of giving birth to her third child, headteacher Dr Helen Wright was back at work at St Mary’s School in Calne, complete with baby in tow.

And six weeks later, baby Jessica has become a familiar face to the staff and students at the school who say she is “part of the family.”

Dr Wright, 39, and husband Brian, who have two older children, Harry, six, and Caitlin, three, were delighted when their latest addition to the family was born weighing a healthy 9lbs 9oz at the RUH in Bath.

Dr Wright said: “I was in school watching a drama rehearsal one day and I was back the next day with baby Jessica when she was just seven hours old. The girls absolutely love having her in school and they are allowed to hold her, but only if I am there.

“I think babies need their mothers – it’s simple and straightforward.

“It is important that we are good role models to the girls at the school, we want them to grow up and have fantastic careers and do amazing things in their lives, but we also hope they have the joy of families and they need to see that in people.”

Dr Wright, who lives on site at the school, said she is able to juggle meetings with motherhood thanks to the support of staff, students, parents and governors. She said: “Depending on who the meeting is with, Jessica stays in the room with me because she sleeps such a lot at the moment as she is so little.

“When she is a toddler it may be a bit more difficult.

“I carry her around in a sling so she is usually always with me and there is never any shortage of people wanting a cuddle with her. I just love my babies and I love running the school.

“I think it’s a powerful message to send out to the children and being able to share my joy with the school community is hugely enriching.”

A spokesman for the school added: “It is so nice to have Jessica in school, and it is lovely to have the family atmosphere especially as we are a boarding school."