Final end of term for three Blackburn teachers

6:10pm Friday 18th July 2008

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IT was a day of “roller-coaster” emotions as long- serving teachers broke up from school for the last time today.

Pupils and colleagues across Blackburn bid farewell to retiring teachers who have clocked up more than 100 years in the classroom between them.

Eileen Blakey was sent off in style, travelling to Lammack Primary School for the final time in a limousine, before being greeted by the entire 250-strong infant school who lined the playground waving flags.

She was later presented with a gift of a laptop computer so she can fulfill her ambition to be a “silver surfer”.

Mrs Blakey has spent her entire 38-year career at Lammack Primary, teaching the reception class for years before being made head of key stage one and then assistant head five years ago.

She said: “I have always been very happy here, and it was an incredibly difficult decision to leave.

"It’s been an emotional rollercoaster. I felt like royalty when I arrived to see all the children waving flags, especially in the pouring rain!

"The children are who I will miss most. I have taught many hundreds, and it’s when I get stopped in Blackburn and told how well one of my pupils is doing that I know why I love my job so much.”

The pupils are also what John Challoner will miss most, and what he is most proud of.

Mr Challoner has retired as head of St Bede’s RC High School, Livesey Branch Road, after 14 years at the helm, 21 years at the school, and 36 years in teaching.

He said: “The school is doing very well now with a good Ofsted and results, and I wanted to leave on a high note.

"But I’ll miss the really cracking kids we’ve got and the general good feeling in the school.”

He said the increase in funding in schools over the decades had been a marked improvement, but lamented the “overprotection” of children nowadays.

Mr Challoner, who plans to travel, said: “These days kids aren’t even allowed to climb a tree. It’s just got ridiculous.”

Mrs Blakey added: “I used to be able to teach how I liked, depending on the different children, now everything is SATs-driven, even for infants which is ludicrous. They should be scrapped.”

Elsewhere, Longshaw Junior School, Park Lee Road, bid farewell to deputy head of 31 years, Michael Gregson.

Head Pam Barnes paid tribute to a “wonderful” teacher who had set up the school orchestra and gardening club amongst other things.