A HEADTEACHER has announced she is retiring from an Oxford school after more than a decade working there.

Fiona Hawkins will be leaving Jericho’s St Barnabas' CE Primary School in summer, at the end of the academic year.

In a newsletter released to parents last week, she said: “I love St Barnabas’ School, I have been so lucky to be headteacher here and to work with such a diverse community.

“There is an amazing team of staff, governors and parents.

“Most of all it is the children that make this job a joy in so many different ways and I feel so lucky to have chosen a career that I have thoroughly enjoyed.”

She said she had given early notice to enable governors plenty of time to recruit a suitable replacement.

The newsletter added that there is a lot planned for the school before then.

Mrs Hawkins joined the 207-pupil school as a teacher, and was first quoted in the Oxford Mail in that role in 2008.

She stepped up to become head several years ago, seeing it through two Ofsted inspections in 2013 and last year, both of which resulted in 'good' ratings.

Ofsted's latest report said of Mrs Hawkins: “You are a dedicated headteacher and uncompromising in your ambition for the school to continually improve and achieve the best outcomes for every pupil.

“Your work to develop the skills of teachers and leaders is strong.”