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She grew up learning of her grandfather’s passion for Labour politics and her father – a priest – saying Jesus was a socialist.

After 10 years as head of Skerton St Luke’s CE Primary School, she has become a Lancaster city councillor representing Heysham Central ward.

Born on Australia’s Gold Coast, Cathy was a “priest’s kid” as her father, Rev Ross Burnett, was a school chaplain in Queensland. She has a younger brother in Australia.

Cathy Armistead, head of Skerton St Luke’s CE Voluntary Aided Primary School, Lancaster, with a mural of the children’s book character The Gruffalo in school.

She graduated as a primary teacher in 1990 and travelled to the UK when she was 25, teaching in south east London schools until moving first to Preston and then Lancaster in 2004.

Cathy became deputy head of Stepping Stones short stay school in Bowerham Road.

She joined Skerton Primary School as acting head and married Peter, who was born in Morecambe and has two children and three grandchildren.

She was head of Silverdale St John’s CE Primary School for five years before her present post in Skerton.

“The thing I like about Skerton is that it might be a deprived area in a city but there is a village feel to it,” said Cathy, 54 in November.

“My passion is families, particularly those with social and emotional difficulties.”

St Luke’s is a 'School of Sanctuary' in the winter and supports families with food parcels.

Cathy knows of families who have been made homeless after being evicted because of difficulties paying rent.

The school currently has 203 pupils and was rated good on its last inspection by Ofsted in 2022.

Always interested in politics, Cathy is a member of Heysham Labour Party and the National Education Union, formerly the NUT. She has served as president of the NUT’s Lancaster Branch.

Now she represents the city council on the Lancashire Police and Crime Panel.

She is enjoying her council work with Coun Sue Penney in Heysham Central. Sue retired as head of Torrisholme Primary School two years ago. They are neighbours in Heysham.

Cathy keenly supports St Luke’s Church, which is celebrating its 190th anniversary, and is a member of the Parochial Church Council.

“For me, going to church is going home,” she said.

Lancaster primary school head is now a city councillor