Ballakermeen head teacher Adrienne Burnett is retiring after 21 years in the post.

On that same weekend a second job vacancy was announced for another long-serving headteacher, Sue Moore, of Queen Elizabeth II High School in Peel - who took up the role in 1998.

Mrs Burnett started as deputy head at the Douglas school in 1995, before becoming the school’s second head since it began teaching 11- to 18-year-olds in 2001.

Prior to this, she had taught drama in schools in the north of England - in Ormskirk, Skelmersdale and the Fylde Coast.

Mrs Burnett said that in her 27 years at BHS: ’School has always been my number one priority, but I think it’s now time to put my family first.’

Asked whether the last two years made for an exceptional end to her career, she said: ’Someone once said to me that you should always leave a party while you’re still enjoying it, and I’ve loved the job, but I have to be honest the pandemic has been a challenge.

’What it has shown though is the resilience of our students and young people, and how when there are challenges we all pull together as a community.

’And whilst it’s been a challenge it’s also been a great honour to have lived through it, and to have played a small part in ensuring that our children have managed to go on and have pathways either to university or to further education’.

Her last day is August 31.

Asked what she will miss most about the job, Mrs Burnett said: ’The children. The people. Never knowing what any two days are going to be like’.

She added that it was nice to know some of the current generation of parents from having taught them as children, and that people in the community remember her. ’It’s always lovely to have conversations with them about how their lives have changed since school,’ Mrs Burnett said.