SIX head teachers have bid a fond farewell to a borough’s primary schools.
Only the acting head of St Bede’s RC Primary School, Darlington, will return to school in September as the others head off into a well earned retirement.
Michael Tiplady will take up the permanent post of head teacher at the primary school he attended as a boy, St William’s RCVA in Trimdon Village.
He said: “After an eventful year, we have received a good Ofsted report and an outstanding RE inspection thanks to the outstanding staff, who I will miss dearly.”
Children at St Teresa’s RC Primary School said goodbye to their head teacher of eight years Christine Boyce who is taking early retirement.
Immediate plans involve a Great European Rail journey from Brussels to Budapest but she said: “I will always maintain an interest and contact in education. I have taken so much from the three excellent schools I have worked in.”
After 30 years at Borough Road Nursery School Lynn Millar has no fixed plans for her retirement other than playing golf and enjoying coffee and lunch with friends and family.
She said: “I am sad to be leaving, I have wonderful memories of the nursery school.”
Some well-deserved family time is also the retirement plan for Paul Rhatigan, who started his career in 1978 and after spending 25 as a head teacher retires from Reid Street School after 12 years.
He said he was proud and happy to “have been able to share the values and ethos of the unique environment of Reid Street School with staff and children”.
Retiring from her tenth school, fourth as head, Carol Coleman has been the head teacher of Mount Pleasant Primary School for the past five years.
She said: “Seeing the school go from strength to strength, with the most amazing SATs results this year, working with staff and children who are second to none, has been a privilege.”
Brian Watkinson, head teacher of the Federation of Mowden Schools Academy Trust, has also retired.
Julie Sowerby, director of Avec which provides support services to the academies, said: “All of the heads will be greatly missed by their staff and the children. They have been committed for years to ensuring the schools provide pupils with the very best start to life and their learning.
