COMMUNITY leaders in the Porthmadog area have welcomed the news that a new full-time headteacher has been appointed for the town’s secondary school.

Former acting headteacher, Dewi Bowen, has now been officially appointed as the head of Ysgol Eifionydd.

The process of appointing a headmaster for the school has taken almost a year after former headteacher, Alwen Watkins was appointed head of Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle last spring.

School governors also looked at the possibility of Ysgol Eifionydd sharing a headteacher with the Arfon school which was met by concerns locally.

Cllr Jason Humphreys, a school governor for Ysgol Eifionydd, as well as Gwynedd councillor for Porthmadog East, has welcomed Mr Bowen’s appointment.

He said: “Mr Bowen has done remarkably well over uncertain times and any outcome other than him being appointed as Eifionydd’s permanent head would have been a tragic waste of opportunity. We were lucky that he was there to take the reins.

“What particularly struck me during our conversations was the expression of delight on his face as he talked about the school.

“Eifionydd’s in excellent hands, but we must not rest on our laurels.”

Mr Bowen has already had an impressive year as acting headteacher after his school celebrated achieving the county’s highest GCSE results during the summer and community leaders predict more impressive results to come under his leadership.

Cllr Eirwyn Williams, who represents Criccieth on Gwynedd Council, said: “I’m very pleased that Mr Dewi Bowen has been appointed as the head headmaster of Ysgol Eifionydd.

“It’s no con-incidence that the more successful smaller schools are also happy schools and during his stewardship of Ysgol Eifionydd over the past year or so Mr Bowen has shown that he has the skill, focus, enthusiasm and above all personality to pull it off.”

Cllr Selwyn Griffiths, chair of Porthmadog Town Council, added: “I very much welcome the appointment of Dewi Bowen as the new headteacher of Ysgol Eifionydd and I now look forward to seeing the school grow from strength to strength under such an enthusiastic headmaster.”