A HEADTEACHER is looking forward to a more mobile existence after a career spanning more than 30 years.

Gill Steele and husband Peter plan to tour Europe with their two-berth caravan next spring before becoming assistant wardens with The Caravan Club, which could mean a posting to anywhere in the British Isles.

Mrs Steele, head of Whitecliffe Primary School, in Carlin How, east Cleveland, is taking early retirement at the end of this week.

Looking back on her eight years at Whitecliffe, the 55-year-old said: "The school's progress has marked the progress of the community. We have moved along hand-in-hand."

The first major milestone was the decision in 1998 to move the school to a single site at Carlin How, leaving a building in Skinningrove.

However, in 2000 devastating floods hit Skinningrove coinciding with a Government inspection of the newly-amalgamated and re-named Whitecliffe.

Mrs Steele said: "I can remember on the Friday of the inspection week standing in the hall for assembly with the inspectors sitting on the side with only a third of my children - at least 50 to 60 were missing.

"It was devastating, very, very upsetting. All the staff felt it personally. I don't know if the inspectors realised the nightmare we were going through.

"Out of all those tough and difficult times, we have built an incredibly strong team - the staff, the children, the parents, the governors, all the community.

"I think that was emphasised by our achievement in attaining Investors in People status this autumn."