The retiring headteacher of a West Cumbrian school said she will always keep an eye on its progress.

Helen Tinnion, 56, of Cockermouth, will retire this summer after 20 years as headteacher of Bridekirk Dovenby Primary School.

She said: “While it’s an extremely challenging job it’s also very rewarding and those rewards have come from the small steps and the achievements big or small that the pupils have attained.

“Every weekend when I walk down Main Street in Cockermouth I invariably bump into past pupils and parents and I will continue to be interested in their development and achievements. I think it’s a very special place.”

Helen grew up in Workington before leaving to study at Sunderland Polytechnic.

Her teaching career started at Monkwray Junior School in Whitehaven in 1981 before moving to Appleby Primary School, Maryport Junior School, All Saints’ Primary School in Cockermouth and Braithwaite Primary School on short-term contracts.

She then taught at Distington Junior School for five years before joining St Mark’s Primary School in Natland as deputy head.

In September 1996 she became head for the first and last time at Bridekirk Dovenby and has never looked back.

She added: “I was attracted to the family-centred village school.

“I certainly hope that I’ve maintained the wonderful ethos that I inherited from my predecessor and that I built upon the quality of the teaching and learning.

“I’m proud of the respect that the school commands in the local community and that we continue to serve them by providing a happy and successful foundation to their children’s learning.

“It’s nice to see generations of families coming through.

“I’ll have mixed feelings, a great deal of pride but also a marked degree of sadness that I’ll miss the children and my colleagues greatly.”

Helen plans to spend her retirement travelling, keeping fit and revisiting skiing and cycling with friends.