Monday 01 March 2021
After both dedicating large portions of their careers toward teaching the children of Guernsey, two primary school Head Teachers will be retiring at the end of the school year.
St Martins' Cate Mason and Castel's Linda Paley will both be stepping back from their roles after years contributing to the Education sector.
Mrs Mason was appointed Head Teacher at St Martins in 2004, but has been employed by Education since 1988, starting teaching at Forest school. Ms Paley started her Guernsey education career in 2001 as the Deputy Head Teacher at St Andrews Primary - she became the Head Teacher there in 2009, and now is the Head of Castel.
Both Head Teachers have helped create incredibly strong communities around their schools, and will no doubt be missed by students and parents, past and present, and their teams of staff.
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee forEducation, Sport & Culture, said:
"Both Cate and Linda have contributed enormous amounts to the Education sector in Guernsey. The quality of their leadership at both of their schools is reflected in their popularity with their school communities and their staff. There is no doubt that they will be missed by all, but I also wish them well in whatever their futures may hold, and thank them for the time they have given to educating generations of the Bailiwick's children."
Cate Mason, Head Teacher at St Martins Primary School, said:
"After 28 years at St Martin's Primary School and 17 years as Head Teacher, I have decided to retire. It has been an incredible privilege to work with such fantastic staff and with so many children over the years. There have been a great many highlights during my time at the school including introducing Kagan Co-operative learning, iPads in the classroom and UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools. I am so proud of the high standards our children achieve and our school's inclusive ethos. When I retire I am very much looking forward to spending more time with my extended family and some adventurous travel (when Covid allows). I also have a new exciting venture ahead of me as I am training to be a counsellor. I will very much miss the daily buzz of school, the children, parents and the staff - it going to be hard to say goodbye to this wonderful school family. I would like to thank the school community for their amazing support - I am sure St Martin's Primary will continue to be a happy and successful place for our children."
Linda Paley, Head Teacher at Castel Primary School, said:
"It has been an absolute privilege to work with such amazing and dedicated staff teams at both St Andrews and Castel. Both schools, though very different, have had a strong sense of community and I have been so proud of the way the whole school communities have come together; St Andrews throughout the challenges of closures and Castel through the recent challenges of Lockdown. However, for me personally the best part of the job has been the opportunity to help shape the lives of so many children over the years and to see them grow and develop into confident individuals who contribute to our community. It will certainly be the children I miss the most when I retire, though I will enjoy the summer term and enjoy that the school is in the best place possible for the new incumbent."
Advertising for replacements at both schools will begin shortly.
