Nancy says farewell after four decades

Nancy Gordon, who is currently in the top role at Cockenzie Primary School, will step down on March 22 after nine years as headteacher there.

The 62-year-old is also known to many pupils, parents and teaching staff from her time as headteacher at Prestonpans Infant School and as deputy head at Haddington Infant School.

She will leave at Easter, but is already looking forward to a reunion with some of her staff and pupils on a school trip to its “twin school” in the Tuscan town of Barga in May.

She said she couldn’t imagine stepping down and that she would miss the job – apart from the paperwork.

“I’ve liked all aspects of the job,” she said. “It is a lovely community with good staff, who are very hardworking, great parents and kids. I’ve enjoyed the whole ethos of the school. Daily life at a school is fun. Every day is so different you don’t know what to expect. I have wonderful memories – it has been such a lovely school to work in.”

She started teaching at Longniddry Primary School in 1971, when the school had just three teachers, and said she had witnessed many changes in the profession since then.

Over the past nine years at Cockenzie she said there had been widespread changes to the school including with technology, the curriculum and the school playground, but the children “remained the same”.

She also paid tribute to the school’s staff: “We’ve done a lot of development work over the last nine years, bringing in the Curriculum for Excellence, making the playground a more interesting place for children. And technology has changed, with tools like interactive white boards – things that help teachers do their job, that we didn’t have even nine years ago. But the children are still the same.”

In retirement, Mrs Gordon  said she would have a long  rest before taking a well-earned holiday. She said she was looking forward to doing more gardening, reading and spending time with her family, including her three grandchildren.

She also hopes to continue to help youngsters by becoming a safeguarder for the Children’s Panel. Exact plans for to mark her last  days have been kept secret, but  Mrs Gordon plans to enjoy an evening out with staff.

Local councillor Peter MacKenzie, who is a former teacher at the school and former education spokesman for East Lothian Council, paid tribute to Mrs Gordon’s time at the school.

He said: “Nancy will be greatly missed. She has both an intensely professional commitment and a deeply personal care for the children under her charge.”