After more than three years in the assistant role and a stint as acting principal, Helen Wilson took the top job last week.

Miss Wilson said: "I'm very much looking forward to the challenge of continuing to see the college go from strength to strength.

"It is already a good school, and my ultimate aim is to make it an outstanding school in the local community."

Outstanding schools now replace excellent ones in regulating body Ofsted's classification system.

As a school with a 300 square mile catchment area, the college's community role was particularly important, she added.

Miss Wilson, 39, lives in Haverhill and is a keen sportswoman, playing hockey and tennis.

The physics teacher is also on the leisure board which controls Bury St Edmunds leisure centre.

Chris Farthing, chairman of governors, said: "This marks the start of a new era at the college. Helen has done a terrific job in an acting capacity and we know that she will lead the college on to attain even higher standards with even greater success for all our students and staff."