SHE was the first woman to be appointed headteacher of an independent boys’ school.

Now Felicity Lusk, the headteacher at Abingdon School, has done away with another tradition: for the first time in its 755-year history the school will not open for lessons this Saturday, or any other Saturday.

Scrapping weekend work is not just proving popular with the boys; applications for teaching posts are also up.

The move has been under discussion since 2002 and soon after Miss Lusk took over in September 2010, she surveyed parents, pupils and staff on proposals to axe Saturday lessons.

She said: “I felt really strongly it wasn’t a modern way to run a school. Although we have boarders, there are 450 boys who come in on coaches and they were having six days of very early starts.

”I just thought it was exhausting for them.”

Pupils started back at the school this week and for the first time, there will be no lessons this Saturday, although many pupils will still be in school for sporting and other commitments.

Miss Lusk said she was “excited” about the timetable changes, which will also see subjects being taught in 55-minute rather than 35-minute blocks. The lunch break will be extended.

Since the announcement of the new working week, the school has seen a swell in applications for teaching posts, by as much as a 50 per cent, for every job.

Miss Lusk said: “We are opening the gates to more people from other independent schools in Oxfordshire, state schools, people coming from London and anyone who is used to working what most people work, a five-day week with a weekend. I am expecting an all-round lift as people are more relaxed and focused and teaching becomes less frenetic.”

She said polling pupils, parents and staff had brought an “overwhelming vote of confidence” for ditching lessons on Saturdays.

Miss Lusk added: “It’s the 21st century. Boys need to sleep.

“Some people think they sleep too much, but when you are chopping their week up you need to find time for them to rest and be part of a family.

“Somebody said to me if I did nothing else for the rest of my headship, I would have done okay.”

Sam Pope, 16, of Abingdon, who is starting in the lower sixth this term, said: “I think it’s going to make a big positive difference to the school.

“A lot of people my age play sport on top of everything else and it was like an endless cycle of not really getting a rest.”