60 years service?!

[MN2025]

I have a member of staff in my school who will be celebrating 60 years service with the school in September.

They joined as a newly qualified teacher in September 1965 for Food & Textiles - progressed all the way up to deputy headteacher before stepping down in and becoming part time in 2006 when they turned 65.

They continue to teach 3 days in the Food Department - they will be retiring officially in December 2025 but we want to do a celebration - to mark the momentous anniversary and the retirement.

They will be 85 in January so it’s remarkable they are still working!!

what have you done for long service like this?

Wowsers that is some outstanding service!
A colleague in their 70s recently retired from our place. We had a cream tea afternoon in a fancy pants hotel which was amazing.

Something like a plaque though or naming a kitchen after her would maybe be appropriate in your case too?

Ask them, but it would be nice to name something after them. If you have prizegiving with academic awards, perhaps the award for excellence in their department could be named 'The Smith Cup' or whatever.

Just thinking - obviously check this with them first but if the teacher is happy for you to do so then contact the local press. It’s a remarkable achievement and it would be nice to see some
positive coverage of the profession for once.

what an outstanding commitment
echo others, but do all of them : a nice tea or similar out, tell the local newspaper and name the food tech room after them

This is the sort of dedication to the profession that deserves and MBE/OBE, not the CEO s of MATs!

Nominate her for an MBE for services to education.

We did this for a lady who volunteered in our school. She heard readers for 45 years despite never having a child go through the school. She also ran a lunchtime club teaching knitting and sewing and making things for the summer and Christmas fayre. She raised hundreds over the years. As she was 80 years old, they fast tracked her application and she got an BEM within 6 months. This meant her and her husband got a trip to the palace and a further invite to a Buckingham Palace garden party. It really was a special year for her.

https://www.gov.uk/honours/types-of-honours-and-awards

If you crack on with the nomination. She could get it in the New Year Honours. It is people like her who deserve the recognition.

Thanks all - we have done a nomination for an MBE for services to education. We also have a celebration planned in the next term to celebrate her 60 years.
We also plan to mark her retirement also with a whole school mass (we are catholic school) in December and other events too.

A remarkable colleague, I remember back the early -mid 00’s when I first become a Deputy Headteacher myself in a nearby school she was incredibly supportive and a fountain of knowledge.

@MN2025 How was the December celebration? Any news on the honour?

The colleague was indeed awarded with an MBE for services to education in the New Year’s honours. A proud moment.

The December celebration went really well. Many past students and staff who had left years ago had come back. One teacher who is retired themselves and worked with the colleague in the 1970s and 80s had jetted over from Australia to the UK specifically for the event! It was a massive surprise and shock for her! We gave her a great send off to retirement.

That is fabulous news @MN2025. Thank you for coming back and updating us.

I am delighted she got her MBE. A Brownie leader, who I nominated, got a BEM this new year in the honours for 50 years in Girl Guiding. It is wonderful that they will have their special day at Windsor and also get invited to a palace garden party in the summer. It will be a very special first year of retirement for your teaching colleague.

I am so pleased that I stumbled across your thread. Xx