Retiring staff say goodbye

She said: "The fact I have been at this school so long is an indication of how happy I have been here.

"There have been lots of different challenges along the way and it has never been boring or rotten. People here are wonderful and there was never a good reason to leave, so I stayed."

Mrs Hindle, 60, said children had been coming up to her over the past few weeks to give her hugs - and beg her not to leave.

She said: "It's been so hard and it is beginning to feel more real that I won't be here this time next term."

However, she said she wanted to use her new free time wisely and is already planning a trip to South East Asia. She said: "I'm going to treat my retirement as one long gap year.

"When you are working, it's difficult to travel or to find the time to do other things.

"My retirement is going to be about some quality time for me. I'm planning to go to Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia."

She said she was glad she would never have to face another school inspection, adding: "They are a stressful time for everyone involved. But we always rose to the challenge and got through them."

Headteacher Mark Chesterton said: "She is so well loved by the children and has been involved in so many aspects of the school.

"Linda has been a class teacher, a literacy co-ordinator, she worked with parents for the PTA, and was a teacher governor.

"She also continued to teach English to every class in the school after she became deputy head. She is fantastic and we are going to miss her."

WHEN headteacher Keith Eaton started at SOUTH MORETON SCHOOL, near Didcot, it had just two classrooms, a temporary classroom and 72 pupils. Now it has doubled in size. Now, after 30 years, he is retiring.

Mr Eaton, 61, who is also chairman of South Moreton Parish council, said: "I have enjoyed my time here and have had very good support from parents, governors and teachers."

Michael Waine, Oxfordshire County Council cabinet member for schools improvement, said: "Heads such as Keith Eaton should be congratulated for making a real difference in their communities and to the children who grow up there."

Teacher Christine Wooldridge went to ST NICHOLAS INFANTS' SCHOOL IN WALLINGFORD for one term on supply - and stayed for 22 years. She retired this week.

She said: "I was so lucky to find such a wonderful school - I've loved every minute of being here. The staff, the parents, governors and the children have all been wonderful."

And to mark her retirement, she was presented with a digital camera, watch, Champagne, and a memory book in which present and past colleagues and pupils had written their own memories of her. All the classes at the school gave her cards and the present from the children as a whole was a silk screen picture.

Mrs Wooldridge said: "Those presents are very, very special and will be treasured."

She has promised herself a good long rest at the start of her retirement but then she plans to get busy again. She said: "I'm going to join a number of clubs, I'll be doing a lot of walking with my husband Geoff, I intend joining U3A - the University of the Third Age - re-learning how to swim, doing keep fit and taking up line dancing again. I'm a member of Sinodun Inner Wheel and I expect to be doing a lot of charity work with them."

Mr and Mrs Wooldridge, who live in Wantage Road, Wallingford, have two daughters - Sally, a nurse at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and Laura, a teacher in Leamington Spa.

SUE Greatbanks, deputy head of HARWELL PRIMARY SCHOOL, is leaving after 27 years.

Before going to Harwell, Mrs Greatbanks was a teacher in Wantage and Hanney.

She was a supply teacher at Harwell before her full appointment, and is now the longest-serving member of staff. A garden party at the school honoured her career. And, following a collection by parents, staff, and former pupils and colleagues, she was presented with jewellery and vouchers for garden furniture.

Mrs Greatbanks said her plans for retirement were fluid but included travel. Her daughter Nichola will be married in Harwell church in August.

A DINNER lady has hung up her apron and ladle after a 72-year association with an Oxfordshire school.

Josie Caton, 75, is leaving CLIFTON HAMPDEN PRIMARY SCHOOL, near Abingdon after 54 years' unbroken service in the kitchen, although her links there go back to when she was a pupil there.

Mrs Catonbegan serving lunches in January 1954, and now plans to concentrate on her passion for gardening and flower arranging.

She said: "I started started serving lunches here in January 1954. At that time the lunches were served at the village hall across the road.

"When the school extension was built in the 1960s, the lunch serving moved to the school - where it has been ever since.

"There were no packed lunches when I first started. Every child had a cooked lunch. The food was very stodgy - dumplings, suet puddings and no fresh fruit or salads."

The PTA and local villagers clubbed together to treat Mrs Caton to a day at Hampton Court Flower show, complete with a door-to-door taxi service. Headteacher Anthea Pearson said: "Josie has been a much-valued member of staff, not only serving the meals but also providing a fund of information about the school and the village."

Before serving her last meal on Friday, Mrs Caton was treated to a big send off by the school's 53 pupils, with morris and maypole dancing.

FOUR members of staff at COOPER SCHOOL, BICESTER, retired after a combined teaching service of 139 years.

Deputy headteacher Pauline Wainman, assistant headteacher Martin Rees, head of maths Andy Hoyland and head of languages Terry Smith, said goodbye to the school in Churchill Road.

Mr Hoyland had taught for 28 years, Mr Smith, 35 years and Ms Wainman and Mr Rees 33 years each. Also leaving are teachers Lilian Brodley, Matt Hutchings, Hannah Boyne, Hannah Tossell, Sandra Millar, Lisa Hewitt, Joe Lancaster-Burley, Tracey Edmunds, and Daniel Burton. Headteacher Ben Baxter said: "They will be greatly missed."