AFTER 36 years at the chalkface, Dorothy Harrison has taken the school register for the very last time.

She bid farewell to staff and students at St Peter’s School in Pilning last week before embarking on a well-deserved retirement.

The literacy co-ordinator had been a teacher at the school, formerly Redwick and Northwick School, for nine years.

However, prior to that Ms Harrison, 57, of Thornbury, had worked at Oldbury-on-Severn School for 10 years and before that for 16 and a half years at Crossways Infants School.

Ms Harrison said: "I think I always wanted to be a teacher since I was five years old and I think it’s fair to say I achieved that ambition.

"I just thought with only a couple of years until I had to retire I thought now was a good time to bow out.

"But I have a lot planned so I don’t really see it as retirement. I have been asked to help run a playgroup and I have been asked to come back into school to help children read.

"I have plenty planned for my retirement, plenty to keep me busy."

Though originally from Durham, Ms Harrison spent many summer holidays growing up in Thornbury staying with family and even attended Thornbury Grammar School as a teenager before completing her teacher training and returning to the Severn Vale area once again to pursue her career.

Ms Harrison will be remembered by pupils for her love of gardening, books and reading.

"I know I am going to miss the children, I am going to miss them very much.

"They are a super lot of children to work with and I have been lucky over the years that wherever I have worked the parents have been supportive and the children have been great," said Ms Harrison.

A special tea party was laid on at the school for Ms Harrison to enjoy with pupils, staff and parents to mark her retirement.

Keith Purvis, headteacher of St Peter's School, said: "For the nine years Dorothy has been here there have been a lot of happy families that have been very pleased their children passed through her class.

"For the one year I have had the privilege of working with Dorothy, she has been a great support.

"A great indication of how good she is, is how much all the children here love her."