A West Cumbrian secondary school head is retiring after 34 years in education.
Emma Jackson is stepping down from her role at St Benedict’s School in Whitehaven, at the end of the academic year.
She joined the school as headteacher in 2019 and has guided it through the COVID pandemic and two successful Ofsted inspections.
During her career, she also served as headteacher at Derwent Vale Primary School in Great Clifton, St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School and St Gregory’s and St Patrick’s Infants. She also taught at Orgill Juniors in Egremont, Silloth primary, Seaton juniors and Seascale primary.
She said: “The thing I will miss most about St Benedict’s is the people; students, my amazing colleagues and the wider St Benedict’s family.
“The school has been part of my life for many years and always will be. There are many memories.
“Some of my favourite ones are when the students have made me truly belly laugh, they can be so entertaining. But big events of course stay with me. The biggest challenge was bringing the school through COVID.
“Those were extremely challenging days, but I think it is when I saw our school community at its best. The building has been a challenge. None more so that when the roof blew off, but yet again we pulled together and came through it.
“We have had some immensely sad moments too. We lost two students in distressing circumstances, both shortly after they had left St Benedict’s. Logan and Bailey are in my thoughts every day.
“We have been through two successful Ofsteds together and an extremely successful Catholic inspection. I am proud and honoured to have led the team through those.
“I was a pupil here and to say I then became the headteacher is beyond anything I could have imagined. It has been the proudest achievement of my life.”
Chair of governors Kayleigh Daniels said: “On behalf of the governing body, we thank Emma for her exceptional leadership and dedicated service to St Benedict’s.
“She has led with integrity, always placing the needs of our children first and seeing the dignity and potential in every person within our school community.
“Through her compassionate stewardship and unwavering commitment, she has shaped not only the school we are today but also laid strong foundations for the future.
“The virtues Emma has embodied and nurtured across St Benedict’s will be her enduring legacy, one that will continue to inspire and provide a strong platform for future generations to build upon.”
Emma added her retirement plans were centred around her family.
She added: “I will be doing some educational consultancy work, but most of my time will be spent with my partner travelling and with my four children and most importantly with my granddaughter. She will only know me as gran – who used to be a headteacher!”
