The new headteacher of Monmouth Comprehensive School says he is "very excited" to be taking on the role.

After a lengthy search for a successor to Carole Herman, the board of governors settled on acting co-headteacher Vaughan Davies as the man to take the school forwards.

Chair of governors Stuart McLester said he was "delighted" Mr Davies had accepted the position.

"It is the end of a long search which goes back to last May, to make sure we had the right headteacher for this school," he said.

"It is a very special school which made huge progress under Carole Herman's leadership, and we are now at a stage where we need to progress further and faster to ensure continued success.

"This school is on a journey that is faster and harder because we are starting from a high point. It is particularly hard to go beyond outstanding but that's our intention."

Mr Davies said: "I am very excited and privileged to be the head of such an outstanding school.

"It is an exciting time for the school with much to look forward to by way of investments made by the Welsh Government and Monmouthshire County Council into different aspects of school life – starting with technology and then, moving forward, the building itself as part of the 21st Century Schools initiative.

"It is a learning journey we are all on – the amazing team of teachers, students and parents – but the most important thing of all is the students and their lives, nothing can ever take away from that."

The school's search for a headteacher culminated in two days of activities and interviews last week for the final shortlist of candidates.

"The school council was an integral part of the interview process," said Mr McLester.

"They wrote questions and their preferred answers with no interference from me or the governing body, and their choice was given equal weight with other panels as to the final outcome.

"The acting headship alongside Tim Bird helped Vaughan show his ability to lead.

"The importance of appointing the right headteacher cannot be overestimated and that is why so much time and care has been taken over this.

"Monmouth is an education town with close to 3,000 pupils in secondary education alone here on a daily basis, so this is of real importance to the town beyond the schools themselves."