A HEADTEACHER who spent most of the last 27 years at a tiny rural Oxfordshire school is preparing to say goodbye to her charges for the last time.

Liz Robertson has been headteacher at Uffington Primary School, where there are about 80 pupils, for the past 14 years.

But before that, she spent 11 years between 1985 and 1996 as a teacher at the school, with just a brief spell in between at Long Wittenham Primary School as a deputy headteacher.

Mrs Robertson said: “I feel quite mixed and I will be very sad to leave because it's been part of my life for such a long time, and I enjoy working here.

“But I think it's time for someone else to come along with new energy and a new vision.”

Mrs Robertson, 59, lives in Stanford in the Vale and has spent her entire teaching career in Oxfordshire.

She has overseen Uffington school expanding and amalgamating with the village pre-school to become a school for children aged two-and-a-half to 11.

She plans to complete a masters degree at Oxford Brookes University during her retirement, and spend more time with her three grandchildren.

Mrs Robetson said: “It's been quite a privilege to watch a whole generation of children grow up in one village – I am now teaching the children of children.”

Chairman of governors David Cryer said staff and governors were sad to say goodbye to Mrs Robertson.

He said: “She's been a fantastic headteacher and will be leaving on a really positive note after a recent good Ofsted.”

A new headteacher, Amy Carnell, has already been appointed for September. It will be her first headship but she comes to the school with experience in secondary as well as primary education.

Mr Cryer said: “We are quite pleased to have someone with a broad range of skills coming in because to fill Liz’s boots is a really hard job.”

Mrs Robertson had spent two days a week teaching and three days as headteacher.

Her replacement will be a full time head, and a part-time teacher has also been recruited to fill the teaching aspect of Mrs Robertson’s job.

Mr Cryer said: “It's really important at the moment because there’s so many changes in education going on at the moment.

“There is more happening every week.

“The big topic at the moment is academies and whether or not we should convert. That’s going to take so much research and consultation which you can’t do on three days a week.”