Schoolchildren returning to lessons for the start of a new term found themselves without a head teacher this week.

Alice Early, who had only joined Paddock Wood Primary Academy in September, unexpectedly handed in her notice over the break between terms, leaving with immediate effect.

Mrs Early had for the previous seven years been the head teacher at Kings Hill Primary School.

Paddock Wood Academy is one of the stable of schools run by the Leigh Academies Trust.

A spokesman said Mrs Early had resigned her post as principal “for personal reasons”.

A letter distributed to parents on Monday from Simon Beamish, the trust’s chief executive, said her resignation “had been unexpected” but he sought to reassure parents.

He said: “Paddock Wood Primary is a large school with plenty of capacity, including two vice-principals. This enables us to cover for Mrs Early straight away.”

One of the vice principals, Simon Page, will act as interim principal until a new head can be appointed, which Mr Beamish predicted would be before next Easter.

He added: “While this recent change is unexpected, it should not affect pupils’ or parents’ day-to-day experience of the school in any way at all.”

The new principal will become the fourth since Leigh Academies Trust took over running the school in 2019.

The first, Scott Opstad, who had been head at the school since 2013, died suddenly in March 2021. He was only 48.

He was succeeded by Libby Fidock, who stayed two-and-a-half years, before moving out of the area, and then by Mrs Early.