Popular Bognor school secretary retires

Anne Jackson stepped down after 21 years as the secretary at The Glade Infant School.

She has worked at the Westloats Lane premises for almost half their 44-year history.

Her job in keeping its administrative work running smoothly has involved looking after the details of an estimated 2,000-plus children.

She said: "I have got mixed feelings about going.

"I'm certainly looking forward to my retirement but I shall miss my work colleagues and all the children.

"I've got to know not just them but their families as well."

Current head Lin Chaplin said: "We are going to miss Anne and everything she has done in her important job.

"The school has only been able to run smoothly because of the work of the staff in the office.

"They are often the first point of contact for families and visitors."

Mrs Jackson (60), of Aldwick Felds, started at the school wanting to use her secretarial experience and enjoy the school holidays with her two sons.

Her lengthy time there has seen major changes in the way schools are run. Theys have been given the freedom to manage their own budgets and the arrival of Ofsted and standard assessment tests (SATs).

Added to this has been the general rise of digital data on computers.

"There are always challenges working here," Mrs Jackson stated, "but it's a wonderful place to work.

"No matter how demanding the work is, the children will come along and make you smile."

Her colleagues, the school's some 200 children and their parents marked Mrs Jackson's retirement with an array of presents.

These include a bicycle and gardening vouchers.

She intends to put those to good use as well devoting more time to walking and playing tennis.

"It will be nice to have holidays outside of term time as well," she added.