A principal has insisted her school is acting in the best interests of its pupils after six members of staff moved on.

IES Breckland, in Brandon, has chosen not to make permanent the contracts of three teachers who were on probation and three supply staff are no longer needed, according to the school.

Sherry Zand, principal, said the decisions had not been taken lightly.

'The decision is in the best interests of the pupils. We have promised outstanding education throughout and we have to deliver on that.

'Sometimes it means tough decisions have to be made,' she said.

The school released a statement on its website late on Wednesday to address the situation.

It said: 'These recent changes have been necessary to ensure we continue to follow and deliver on our promises to you and your children.

'We have a clear vision on what we should be as an education provider, and are extremely committed to ensuring that we have the right people in our team to deliver our vision and ethos.'

The statement adds that measures have already been put in place to ensure that children's education is not disrupted by the changes.

The school is currently advertising for three posts - head of modern foreign languages, an English teacher with responsibility for drama and a maths teacher.

Despite the statement, rumours on social networking sites and blogs were that six staff members had been dismissed.

But Ms Zand said that nobody had been sacked.

Parents were told of the changes at an open evening on Wednesday, with more than 150 in attendance.

Pupils have also been informed.

The school has just completed work on a new building after nearly a year of development.

Parents were shown the new facilities at the open evening, including a new library and IT suite.

The rest of the school - the former home of Breckland Middle School - has also undergone refurbishment.