Eight-year-old Eleanor is head for the day!

MOST head teachers are appointed by a board of governors after a lengthy interview process — but not so Eleanor Howarth, the new “head” at St Mary’s Primary School in High Crompton.

She bought the title.

And it didn’t cost her an arm and a leg either. A total payout of only £102.50 secured her the position. Albeit for only one day.

Eight-year-old Eleanor, a Year 3 pupil, was so determined to be the highest bidder for the top job in the school that she canvassed family and friends to sponsor her — and beat off four other interested parties in the auction who had to settle for being mere deputies.

During her day, which began by blowing the whistle to bring pupils in from the playground, she helped to lead morning assembly, rewarded the good work and behaviour of those pupils sent to the head’s office and wrote a newsletter to parents.

She also became responsible for counting up the cash raised by the auction and a host of other activities organised by members of the school council, which amounted to £1,000 for the Comic Relief charity.

Eleanor, whose favourite activity when she’s not running the school is IT, decided she wouldn’t use her new-found powers to make any drastic changes at St Mary’s because: “I like the school just the way it is.”

But she did think of her fellow pupils and granted them an extra five minutes’ playtime, as a reward for dressing up as something funny to mark Red Nose Day.

The pupils who became deputies were Alexander Malesev-Walsh (Year 2), Lucy Thomas (Year 4), Jessica Clement (Year 6 ) and Rebecca Delaney (Year 6).