A HEADTEACHER who led a school to become “outstanding” is retiring next week after 13 years at the helm.

Hilary Jackson will leave Testbourne Community School, in Micheldever Road, Whitchurch, after enjoying a 36-year teaching career. Speaking of her time at Testbourne, she said: “It’s been fabulous. It’s always been, and still is, a real community, family school, particularly because it’s situated in a small town.

“We have tried to build on that and maintain it as part of the community. People tell me it’s still a happy place to be.”

She added: “I have been blessed with a fabulous team of staff and we have worked hard to make it a school the local community can be proud of, and a school of choice for parents, to the point where, at our last Ofsted, we were judged to be outstanding. We have tried to be the best we can be.”

Testbourne has grown in size since Ms Jackson started, going from 500 pupils to 780. It became a specialist performing arts school in 2005, and Ms Jackson said: “Some of our most special moments have been linked to performing arts. That’s been the tingle factor, when you see the children grow in confidence.”

Ms Jackson said she is particularly proud of Testbourne’s ongoing partnership with a school in Uganda, as it has given pupils the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of visiting the country. But she said her greatest achievement was the “outstanding” Ofsted report. She added: “As a team – pupils, staff and families – we worked really hard to achieve that and it showed, over time, that we raised the results.”

Ms Jackson said that as a headteacher, she has tried to create a balance, explaining: “Doing well is important but the sort of person you are is important as well, and having fun.”

She added: “It’s about being able to help children find a talent they didn’t know they had or opportunities they didn’t know were out there. That makes it really rewarding. It’s about making children believe they can do something special.”

Although sad to be leaving, 60-year-old Ms Jackson said the time felt right, adding: “It’s a great job but it’s also relentless, working 60 to 70-hour weeks, and you can’t carry on doing that indefinitely.

“I wanted to go while the school was in good shape.”

In her retirement, she plans to “do some of the things you put on hold – riding my bike or reading books or doing my garden.”

Taking over the headship will be current deputy head Ruth Beasley. Ms Jackson said: “She’s been at the school for seven years and knows it really well. “I’m confident she will do a fantastic job. She’s been part of what we have achieved.”

*ALSO leaving Testbourne is Ms Jackson’s personal assistant Mary Payne, who is semi-retiring after 31 years at the school. When she started as an administrator, there were no computers or photocopiers. The 64-year-old said: “Computers are supposed to have helped us, but there’s more work as a result!”

The mother-of-one later became PA to the headteacher, and has assisted four different heads since she started. Ms Jackson said: “Mary was the first person I spoke to when I rang up and asked for a job pack.”

She added: “She’s had to move with the times and big technology changes. She’s looked after me hugely.”