Farewell tears as well loved head leaves

Shazia Azhar was the first British Asian woman of Pakistani origin to take the role at a Kirklees school when she took over the role in 2013 determined to inspire future generations to follow their dreams.

And her entrance into school was always a sight - riding her motorbike from her home in Edgerton, Huddersfield.

She said: “When I first came to Purlwell Infant and Nursery School in January 2013, I was struck by the beautiful, large Victorian building filled with children like those in many other schools.

“Leaving I am leaving, I would like to celebrate the achievements of the staff and children at Purlwell.

“Over the past three years we have achieved our best ever results.

“Historically, when we compared ourselves to the national benchmarks, we always fell short of these but for the last three years we have shown real improvement.

“Now it is the norm for us to attain at least in line with the national averages and often well above those figures.

“It is true to say that many of our children have English as an additional language and arrive in school speaking a language other than English.

“We see this as an asset; something to build on.

“More children than ever before will leave our school with their life chances improved.

“At a time when school improvement is very much on the political agenda, Purlwell has shown that with the right leadership, attitude and collaborations, the ceiling on children’s attainment can be smashed.”

Before their headteacher left for the final time, children, staff and parents all wished her well with gifts, cards and a few tears.