The head teacher of the island’s newest primary school is calling it a day in the summer.

Ian Walmsley, head teacher of Henry Bloom Noble Primary School, has told staff, pupils and parents of his intention to retire at the end of the summer term.

’The timing is right,’ said Mr Walmsley, 60.

’I’m incredibly proud of this school - the staff and the pupils.’

His departure will come three years after the move into a new campus, on the site of the former Noble’s Hospital in Westmoreland Road, Douglas.

Before that, Mr Walmsley oversaw the merger of Fairfield and Ballacloan schools to form HBN Primary, in 2013/14.

Despite operating on two separate campuses for nearly three years, Mr Walmsley ensured he knew all the children - and the vast majority of parents - by name.

In the days since Mr Walmsley announced his retirement, he has been swamped with good wishes from parents.

Former pupils have also taken the time to get in touch and thank him.

Since moving into the new premises, HBN’s population has swelled dramatically.

At the start of 2016/17, there were about 280 pupils. That has grown to more than 360.

Mr Walmsley’s retirement comes at the end of a teaching career that began more than 30 years ago in the UK. Before the merger, Mr Walmsley was head teacher at Fairfield and, prior to that, the head of Scoill Vallajeelt in Douglas.

He also served as a deputy head at Ashley Hill School in Onchan and was a class teacher at Braddan School.

But he first came to the island as a secondary school art teacher, at Ramsey Grammar School.

Trust

It was on a one-year contract and when an opportunity subsequently came up at Braddan School, he switched to primary.

’My last class at Ramsey Grammar School was a group of A-level students,’ he said.

’Then in the September I had a group of 30-plus year four and five children at Braddan School, with six weeks’ holiday in between.

’I didn’t have a clue what to do with milk money or what to do when you took them swimming but I was confident the rest of it I would be alright with, because teaching skills are transferable.’

Reflecting on the growth in pupil numbers over the past three years, he said: ’We are now the fifth biggest school in the Isle of Man and we are catching another one up, so at some point we will be the fourth biggest.

’That is partly due to the new building but it is also due to the fact that, I think, the community trusts us and what we do.’

He said he was happy that he would be leaving behind a skilled workforce and a happy school.

Growth

’What makes a good school? Good staff - as simple as that,’ he said.

He feels that whoever succeeds him after the summer, the school’s growth and development will continue.

’It feels right to go,’ he said. ’I am happy to go now because I think the school is in a good place.

’We have good staff and good facilities.

’There are things that could be improved but that is the same with any school, anywhere in the world.

’I am happy with the staff and the systems - and, of course, the kids.’