Staff retire after 107 years of hard work (From Croydon Guardian)

Carshalton Boys Sports College staff retire after 107 years of hard work

7:30am Wednesday 4th July 2012 in News By Sophia Sleigh, Reporter

A maths teacher, kitchen manager and assistant head are retiring after a combined total of 107 years' hard work at Carshalton Boys Sports College.

Maths teacher Ken Bailey, 62, from Mitcham, has been at the school for 40 years and has taught boys whose grandfathers he taught.

Kitchen assistant Shirley Spink, 60, from Morden, is retiring after 34 years and assistant headteacher David Hall, 55, is moving to France after 33 years of teaching.

Assistant headteacher David Hall, 55, currently teaches citizenship and Religious Studies.

He said: “It’s very sad. I love the school and the kids - they are wonderful.”

He said what really stands out for him in the last three decades is the pupils who begin as boys and leave as men.

He said: “They leave as such nice human beings.

“You would be proud to have them as friends.”

Despite losing some much loved staff the school was celebrating last week after the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust recognised them for achieving some of the fastest improving GCSE results in the country.

They also received a further big boost after the Education Funding Agency announced that it has awarded them £900,000 towards the cost of replacing their existing temporary block to build an eight classroom Mathematics Learning Zone.