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Kate finishes on a class act
AN Ofsted inspection – ten days before she was due to retire – ensured it was a busy end of term for Buxton headteacher Kate Lamb.
Bowing out after 11 years at St Thomas More School, where she has been headteacher for six years, Mrs Lamb has left on a high with a glowing report.
"The Ofsted was superb. It went really well. In actual fact looking at it I am quite pleased. It is like they have drawn a line. They have come in at the last minute and assessed everything I have done," she explained.
"The lead inspector said he had never come across a school with such polite and respectful pupils."
Mrs Lamb said her decision to take early retirement had been difficult. "I will do something else but what I will do I don't know."
She said she would like to continue in the field of education and not let her 33 years of experience go to waste.
It is while she has been headteacher that the school became a specialist science college and the eagerly anticipated sports hall development – fraught with difficulties – was finally realised.
"I thought it was hilarious when we doing the sports hall that I had the minster for sports mobile number and was phoning him on a daily basis. I will always remember that. He was so helpful and supportive in getting this off the ground."
Mrs Lamb has also been a lead member in Peak 11 – a group made up of all 11 secondary schools between Glossop and Ashbourne – which enables them all to work together and share best practice.
As the lead member on the 14-19 agenda she was particularly pleased that three vocational warehouses are to be built, at a cost of 5 million, to enable pupils to learn skills in engineering, construction and vehicle engineering.
The sites will be in Glossopdale, Buxton Community and Lady Manners in Bakewell but will be available to all students within Peak 11.
"It will allow us to offer diplomas because you have to remember we are a rural area and we don't have the infrastructure or business partners which is why we went for three vocational warehouses."
Mrs Lamb has high hopes the pupils due to sit their GCSEs next year will continue the success of previous years which have seen results improve steadily.
"I am very proud of the pupils. Results over the past four years have improved up and up. This years could be the best yet."
A Mass was held at the end of term to mark her retirement when she was presented with numerous presents and cards from staff and pupils.
"What I will miss more than anything are the children. The children we have here are wonderful," said Mrs Lamb
Brendan Hinkey will join the school as headteacher in January.
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Weather for Buxton
Wednesday 08 February 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: -3 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Light sleet
Temperature: 1 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: South west
