Hebburn primary school celebrates the 48-year-long career of a much-loved staff member
A Hebburn primary school has celebrated a staff member’s 48-year-long career as she retires.
The community at Hebburn’s Toner Avenue Primary School have joined together to celebrate a staff member’s 48-year-long career at the school.
Current and former staff, pupils and governors were present at a special assembly on Friday, September 11, as the school commemorated Carol Inkster’s retirement.
The 79-year-old started work at the school, on Johnston Avenue, in October 1978 as a nursery nurse and has since went on to hold a variety of different roles before she retired on July 31.
‘A second home’
During Friday morning’s assembly, which was themed around Take That in honour of Carol, she stated that the school was a “second home” to her and that it was with a “heavy heart” that she had decided to retire.
Speaking to the Shields Gazette afterwards, Carol said: “It feels sad to retire but I’ll have to get on with it!
“When I first started, I had the feeling that Toner Avenue was the place to be and the children kept me here for so many years.
“There has been too memories to think about, too many - it has always felt like a second home.
“I’m just going to enjoy my time off and not hurry about, as well having a lie in.”
‘A huge miss’
Nichola Fullard, headteacher at Toner Avenue, has stated that Carol will be a “huge miss” to the school and praised the “significant impact” that she’s had on generations of children.
She commented: “Carol is just amazing and she has always been here - she is like part of the furniture.
“She has worked right across the school, knows lots of the children and generations of families.
“Even though she is retired, she has still been in during the summer holidays to help organise things within the school so she will always have Toner in her heart.
“Carol is going to be a huge miss to the school and I don’t know what we’re going to do without having her here.
“It is lovely that she has been here for so long over the years, she has had such a significant impact on generations of children, staff and the wider community.”