Tingley pupils bid farewell to their ‘outstanding’ head
Headteacher Jim Reid who is retiring from Westerton Primary School, Tingley. Back L-R Sebastian Faulkner,Oliver Suman,Neve Jackson and Melissa Lee. Front L-R McKenzie Hill,Maddie Marriott,Victoria Mupandawana and Francis Appleyard.
STAFF, pupils and governors at Westerton Primary said farewell on Friday to “outstanding” headteacher James Reid who is retiring after 12 years at the school.
Mr Reid, 60, joined the school in May 2000 and has seen it through three Ofsted inspections which all praised the school for achieving the highest standards.
Mr Reid, who has spent 38 years in teaching, 23 of them as a headteacher, said: “Westerton had been fantastic, it has been a very happy time
“I said when I came that I hoped I would last longer in Leeds than Brian Clough (who was manager of Leeds United for 44 days), because we are both from Derby, and I have managed to do that.”
He added: “It was a good school before I came and I’d like to say I have maintained the standard.
“Any success we have had here is down to the fantastic team we have at the school.
“I have been privileged to have worked with so many talented people and the pupils have been fantastic, the governors have been incredibly supportive and parents have been appreciative.
“It’s been a pleasure to serve this community and I really want to thank everybody for their support.”
Mr Reid is going on to work a couple of days a week as a school inspector to keep his brain “in gear” and hopes to explore a lot more of the Yorkshire countryside, between catching up with a few DIY jobs.
Speaking after a special assembly on Friday, the chairman of governors Tony Grayson said: “Twelve-and-a-half years ago James Reid was appointed headteacher following the retirement of the late Bill Batty. He was an outstanding candidate for the post and over the period of his tenure, has proved to be an outstanding head.
“It did not take long for Mr Reid to bring new ideas and organisation into the day to day running of the school and the benefits soon became obvious as examination results continued to improve beyond expectations and Ofsted inspections concluded that Westerton was ‘an outstanding school in all respects’.
“Much to the delight of pupils, Mr Reid has always believed in the ‘learning by experience’ benefits of out-of-school visits to a wide variety of historical and educational facilities and the governors feel that this, coupled with teaching and learning of the highest calibre, has enabled Westerton Primary to be one of only a handful of primary schools in England and Wales to be defined by Ofsted as outstanding at every time since inspections began.
“The staff, the governors, the parents and the children will miss Mr Reid enormously.
“We all wish him many happy years ahead and, as the children demanded at Mr Reid’s farewell assembly on Friday, we expect him to come back to see concerts, Christmas plays and especially the summer gala.”
The governors are now looking for a new headteacher and in the meantime Ms Stephanie Makin is taking up the position of acting headteacher.
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Monday 20 May 2013
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