HEADTEACHERS are queuing up to fill vacant primary school headships in Bolton -- despite a national recruitment crisis.

Nationally more than one in three primary schools had to re-advertise vacant headships last year.

But in Bolton there has been no such recruitment problem, according to council education bosses.

A Bolton Council spokesperson said that in the last two years there has only been one or two occasions when a vacant headship post in either the primary and secondary sectors has had to be re-advertised, out of more than 20 vacancies. On average there are about 12 applicants for each vacant headship, the spokesperson added, so the town does not have any particular recruitment problem.

Figures from the 18th annual survey of senior management vacancies by John Howson of Education Data Surveys showed that a record number of primary schools across the country had to re-advertise vacant headships, with more than a third of primary schools having to re-advertise.

Figures reveal Roman Catholic Schools had the highest numbers of re-advertisements.

Headteachers the Bolton Evening News contacted said they believed the strong relationship between schools and the local education authorities was one of the factors behind the town Bolton's recruitment success.

Glenys Evans headteacher at Claypool Primary School said: "Bolton has a very successful authority in terms of partnership with headteachers and LEA." I've had contact with headteachers in the other LEAs and I haven't come across any with stronger partnerships." She added she thought there was not a recruitment problem because Bolton itself was an attractive place to live.

Jack Hatch, national treasurer of the National Association of Headteachers and head at St Bedes said he thought recruitment levels in Bolton are probably the same as many other places in the country and it was mainly inner city areas that had problems recruiting headteachers.

Headteacher of Red Lane School and chairman of the Bolton Primary Headteachers Partnership David Johnson, said: "I haven't got the facts and figures but I've no reason to disbelieve the authority. It does appears that headships are filled quickly in Bolton."

He added that Bolton was seen as a positive authority which works closely with schools.