Year six pupils will not be the only ones saying goodbye at two local schools this summer.

Published on 10th May 2007 in News

Year six pupils will not be the only ones saying goodbye at two local schools this summer.

Kingsway Primary School will say goodbye to headteacher Chris Walker, who retires after being at the school for 35 years and hello to Liam Jackson, who is currently head at Eastrington Primary School.

While Mrs Walker has been at Kingsway, she has seen it change from a junior school, to a middle and finally a primary school.

"I've never needed to move, change has come to me," she said.

"I can say I have really enjoyed teaching children of different ages and Kingsway has always been a warm, welcoming school and a good place to teach.

"I have happy memories in the early years of sitting reading stories to the children under the cherry tree, of the pupils playing the staff at rounders and hockey and latterly travelling to Washington to widen my knowledge of education."

The head says she is approaching retirement with 'mixed feelings'.

"I still very much enjoy my job," she said. "But there are new things on the horizon like the remodelling and refurbishment of the building and the introduction of the new school improvement partners which I think would be better for a new head to take forward."

For Mrs Walker, learning to ride her horse, improving her photography skills and seeing a little more of the world are on her horizons.

Exciting challenges lay ahead

Meanwhile, Liam Jackson is looking forward to coming to Kingsway and "developing the creative curriculum".

"I've been at Eastrington for eight years and it's a wonderful school but when the job came up at Kingsway I wanted to go for it," he said.

"I'm really looking forward to the challenge," he said.

A decision will be made on who will take over from Mr Jackson over the next few weeks.