A retired interim headteacher has been appointed at a primary school where the headteacher and chair of governors left suddenly.

Parents were told Mary-Jane Taylor was hired on Friday as a temporary headteacher of Garfield Primary School in Wimbledon after Yvonne Norman left for ‘personal reasons’ recently.

Miss Taylor was the headteacher at St Matthew’s CofE Primary School in Cottenham Park Road, now run by Gary Quinn.

Parents were notified by letter that new chair of governors Rob Gray appointed Miss Taylor on Friday and was due to greet parents at the school gates on Monday morning.

There is no mention about how long she will be at the school nor any information about what has happened to the current headteacher Ms Norman.

Sudden departure of headteacher and chair of governors leaves parents demanding answers 

There is also no mention of the change-over on the school’s website, which still lists Ms Norman as the headteacher on the homepage.

The letter from Mr Gray on Friday stated: "Miss Taylor is a well-respected leader who has enjoyed a successful career, teaching and leading across a quality range of schools locally and nationally.

"Miss Taylor met with staff at the school earlier today and will be in the playground to greet parents on Monday morning when she will take up her role as interim head with immediate effect.

"I know Miss Taylor is really looking forward to starting and I hope you will join me in welcoming her to our much-loved school."

New chair of governors at school where headteacher and former chair left suddenly speaks out

The Wimbledon Guardian reported last week that worried parents were demanding answers after the mystery departure of Ms Norman just days after its chair of governors Amanda Stuart Fisher resigned following an emergency meeting with the council at the beginning of the month.

When approached, Ms Stuart Fisher did not want to comment.

An Ofsted inspection is due to take place at the Garfield Road school in Wimbledon imminently.

Its last inspection in 2010 rated the school, which has 316 pupils aged three to 11-years-old, as ‘good,’ which means it is serving its pupils well.

It is a grade below ‘outstanding.’