A KEEN cricketer and football fan, Stuart Smith took over as head of Habergham High in Burnley two years ago.

The school was awarded Beacon Status in two separate bids and is a specialist science and engineering centre. Government money has been ploughed into improving ICT facilities.

Now he is driving the Byron Street school forward and spoke to reporter CLARE COOK about life on and off the Cricket pitch...

So what has brought you to this point? I studied modern history at Oxford University and moved to Lancashire in 1982. I taught at Morecambe High school and Lytham St Annes where I was head of sixth form. Then I was deputy at Haslingden High School for four-and-a-half years before coming for interview here.

Sport has always played a big part in your life. Any time for it now? I played for Morecambe Cricket Club in the Northern League for 14 years but there is not much time to pay cricket now. I do support Preston North End though which creates a bit of friendly banter with the Burnley fans in school.

And off the 'pitch'? I like to watch Friends and Frasier. Who doesn't? I am a big fan of Channel Four on a Friday night and I like to watch sport on TV. My favourite film must be Shawshank Redemption. I still cry at that film as it is morally lifting. I have no favourite author though and refuse to read Harry Potter. I would sooner read some kind of living history type.

Any nickname? Not one that is repeatable. Lets just say it is a sporting name.

And the funniest stories from school? There are so many they are just impossible to quantify. One thing recently that did make me feel good was that I have started the Burnley town cricket team for the first time in 16 years. The players are all from schools in Burnley and we stuffed Blackburn. It was a mixed race team and the atmosphere and camaraderie was second to none. There were some really good cricketers and they all played together in the name of Burnley. They totally destroyed the opposition through pure team work which is one of the best aspects of Burnley.

Burnley is quite a unique place then? Absolutely. There are issues here with admissions from the West and the East side with a lot of parents wanting to send their children here. Disappointed parents set up their own DIY school. There is a lot of work to be done with social cohesion but I know it is all worth it. Within the school each child gets a fair break and learns to accept one another for who they are.