Heads set for new challenge
Two heads bid farewell to their Southwell schools when the summer holidays begin today.
Mrs Julie Rischer, head of Holy Trinity Infants’ School, leaves after two years to take up a post at a new school.
Mrs Vanessa Platt is retiring after 16 years at Lowe’s Wong Infants’ School.
She has been head for 13 years after serving as deputy head.
Mrs Platt worked in the pharmaceutical industry but started to help in school when she had her own children.
She took a teacher training course and taught at two schools in Mansfield before becoming deputy head at Lowe’s Wong.
Mrs Platt said she had decided to take early retirement.
She said: “I feel it is the right time in my life to pursue other interests and do other things.
“I have loved doing the job. It has been inspirational, rewarding and challenging at times.”
Mrs Platt said her greatest achievement during her time at the school was gaining two outstanding Ofsted reports.
She said: “Headship is very rewarding but it takes a lot of hard work to keep a school at the level this one functions at and it takes up a huge part of your life.
“But it is not just about me. The team at the school is a good team. I have been so lucky to work with such a good team of people.
“The teachers, support staff and governors all give over and above what they have to, which is what makes this such a good place to work. I feel I have got a team of friends rather than colleagues. This is a really nice place to come to work every day.
“I am really going to miss the children. It was wanting to work with children that brought me to teaching in the first place.”
Mrs Platt said she hoped to spend more time with her family and on her hobbies.
She said: “I want to do some work related to education but I don’t want the full time commitment of headship any more.
“I will have time to do more of the things I wanted to do at home like cooking, gardening and reading and seeing friends.”
The head of Radcliffe Infants’ and Nursery School, Mrs Aly Speed, will take over as head.
Mrs Speed who has been head at Radcliffe for four years was deputy head at Lowe’s Wong Infants’ for five years before taking up the headship in 2005.
Mrs Platt said: “I am delighted she’s coming back and I know I’m passing the school on to very good hands.”
The new head at Radcliffe will be Mrs Rischer, who is leaving Holy Trinity Infants’ School, Southwell, after two years.
Mrs Rischer (49) of Main Street, Upton, said greater community involvement and stronger links with the church were among the improvements made during her time as head.
Her appointment at Holy Trinity was her first as the head of a school.
She said she was pleased with what she had achieved.
She said: “We got outstanding in our Ofsted inspection for community. I think there has been a massive shift and the school is much more open now.
“Our links with Holy Trinity Church are very strong and our church Ofsted report was outstanding as well.
“Standards for pupils are also significantly on an upwards trend.”
Mrs Rischer said she had loved her time in Southwell.
She said: “The team are lovely to work with. This has been my favourite job so far. I have just loved everything about it.
“The school embodies kindness and every person in it is a really nice person. You don’t go into many places where every single person is lovely, including the parents, children, staff and everyone who supports the school.
“I want to thank everybody for allowing me to be a part of it all. It was a real privilege to work here.”
A senior teacher, Mrs Kathryn Thompson, will be acting head for a term while governors appoint a new head.
Mrs Rischer said: “Kathryn Thompson has been at the school for a long time. She knows the children and the families and she loves the school.”
