It's the end of an era at a Wigan primary school as four long-serving staff, including the head, call it a day

It was an emotional end to the academic year at one Wigan school as a host of its staff left all at once.

Several at Marsh Green Primary are moving on to new postings but four long-serving members of the team are taking retirement, including the headteacher Gillian Leigh.

Left to right: Helen Kesall – Y6 teacher (16 years' service); Gill Leigh - headteacher (14.5 years); Yvonne Young – attendance and admin (20 years); Annette Hamilton – pastoral (25 years)

placeholder image — Left to right: Helen Kesall – Y6 teacher (16 years' service); Gill Leigh - headteacher (14.5 years); Yvonne Young – attendance and admin (20 years); Annette Hamilton – pastoral (25 years)

The 58-year-old, who has run the school since 2012, said: “It certainly feels like the end of an era with so many people going at once.

"For me teaching has been an absolute privilege and I have thoroughly enjoyed working at Marsh Green. It has been the best yet!

Gillian Leigh is retiring after 15 years as headteacher of Marsh Green Primary School

"It’s a fantastic commuity with family and brilliant colleagues; but most of all it is the children: it really has been wonderful working with them and I will miss them massively.

"But we are only custodians and it is time to pass on to someone else.

"Ofsted came last summer and it was a positive outcome. The school was in a good place so the moment seemed right to hand over the controls.”

Married mother of two grown-up children, Mrs Leigh lives in Horwich and has enjoyed 40 years in education.

She began teacher training in Charlotte Mason College in Ambleside, Cumbria, then started working in Bolton for 16 years before “seeing the light (!)” and coming to work in Wigan while continuing to rise through the ranks.

First she worked at Newbridge School (formerly Kingshill) in Platt Bridge – her sole foray into secondary education – was then deputy head of Newton Westpark Primary in Leigh before her appointment as head of Marsh Green Primary 14 years ago.

Any thoughts of a quiet retirement are very premature though.

She enjoys running, swimming, cycling and mountaineering, recently competing in a triathlon while she is also a member of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.

She said: “I love all that outdoorsy stuff and I want to pursue more of that in retirement while my body allows it!”

The three other staff members taking retirement have all been at Marsh Green even longer than Mrs Leigh.

Annette Hamilton started off as a teaching assistant and became part of the school’s inclusion team dealing with pastoral and safeguarding issues.

Yvonne Young first came to Marsh Green Primary as a pupil, her daughter followed in her footsteps years later and then Yvonne began working there firstly as a parent helper, then a teaching assistant and more recently has worked in the office and is therefore credited with knowing ever family with connections to the school.

And Helen Kelsall has worked with Year 6 children for 15 years and seen countless hundreds of pupils through their Sats and prepared them for secondary school.

Claire Dickinson has been appointed as Marsh Green Primary School’s new headteacher and will be starting in September along with several more new staff.

Mrs Leigh said: “I think I am ready for retirement but it is a strange feeling and I know there will be an emotional end to the school year on July 24 (we do an extra week at Marsh Green because we think five weeks’ holiday rather than six in the summer is better for the children.)”