End of an era Teacher set to retire after 39 years at same city school

WHEN the school year ends next month, it will be the end of an era in south Bristol.

- Tristan CORK

For the last time, Caroline Proffitt will say an emotional goodbye to her Year 6 pupils as they head off for the next stage of their lives at secondary school, but this time, she will be going too.

Ms Proffitt has taught at Perry Court Primary in Whitchurch for a few months short of 40 years, and this summer holiday will see the end of a remarkable lifetime’s work of nurturing, teaching and caring for generations of children in south Bristol.

She arrived at Perry Court in a little blue Mini at the start of September 1986. The Cold War was still frozen, Margaret Thatcher hadn't won her third election yet, and England had just crashed out of the World Cup thanks to Maradona’s Hand of God.

Over the years, she has had 12 headteachers and it is impossible to count the number of children she’s taught. If every class had 30 children, that would be 1,170, but over the years, she’s taken subjects and taught different sets, so the true figure is much more.