I never thought I’d end up as head of a village primary, but it was the best move I ever made. I started out 22 years ago as a geography teacher in secondary, but switched to primary after three years, retraining with maths and science diplomas.

I was working as a deputy in Kingsteignton when I was asked to come here as acting head in1995, when the previous head went through ill health. The place was in virtual anarchy - 32 kids, used to doing what they liked, with the prevailing parental philosophy influenced by nearby Totnes, the brown rice and sandals brigade.It took three years to turn it round. I am very much a disciplinarian, but we changed the ethos without excluding children. Now we have a waiting list, with kids travelling from up to eight miles away. There are three other schools within two and half miles.

People might think a village school is a backwater, but I find it a very stimulating job. We have a lot of staff: I teach half-timetable at the upper end and Lucy Cleave, the other full-time teacher, takes infants. But we have three other part-time staff and we share the main school responsibilities.

There are seven other staff full and part-time. Communication is the biggest problem, but I believe in everyone knowing what’s going on.

Carol Williams, one of our classroom assistants, is training to be a teacher part-time at Rolle College, Exmouth, and Debbie Ralphs, another assistant, is a year behind her. We also have Alison Hard, doing the Graduate Teacher Programme, half-timetable over two years. Lynne Moule, a part-time teacher, and I share mentoring.

Village life is lovely. The main criteria when appointing someone - apart from teaching ability - is that they have something to offer the school and that they fit in with the village. It’s so important that everyone gets on.

The local people get involved too. One day an old lady invited me to tea and gave me pound;2,500, which we put towards a mini-bus. Education is not just about school so we do theatre trips, dry-slope skiing, football matches and an advanced maths project with other local schools. Our annual school production is always packed out.

It would be easy to get overwhelmed in this job: you have to delegate and have the confidence to say No. We’re responsible for our own destiny here - if we fail, we’re out of a job.