The new head teacher of Lavington School hopes a sixth form will be open by September 2017.

Sarah Lowkis, who has just taken over at the village secondary school in Market Lavington, near Devizes, is optimistic that this time the school’s dream of gaining a sixth form will be realised.

Mrs Lowkis, 50, who moved to the top job after seven years as deputy, said: “I really do think this time it will happen. There is a new stream of funding available and we have the sort of results that make us eligible.”

In the past, the school has come close to getting funding for a sixth form, but the plans fell at the last hurdle. Now, after a meeting with an advisor to a senior education department figure, Mrs Lowkis is pleased with the outcome.

She said: “He thought we should get the money, as we are a successful, rural academy.”

She said she hoped work on the sixth form, costing about £3.5 million, could start in September 2016.

It is one of three priorities set by the mother-of-three, who has been at Lavington School since 2005.

The others are to form stronger links with the area’s primary schools and be graded outstanding by Ofsted. She said the school was on track to be outstanding in all four areas rated by inspectors. Last year, it was outstanding in two and good in the others.

Exam results have regularly been in the top five per cent nationally and Mrs Lowkis believes current Year 11s are on course to do better than last year’s group.

Her daughters, Carmella, 20, and Matilda, 18, gained all A*s in their GCSEs at Lavington and are now studying at university.

Son Tom, 14, is in Year 10.

Mrs Lowkis, who lives in Worton, said: “I think being a parent at Lavington as well as being head gives me a good perspective from both sides.”