TRIBUTES have been paid to a founding parent of Yarm School and its longest serving chairman of governors who retired at the end of term.

Donald Blakeley had been associated with Yarm School as parent, trustee and governor since 1978. One of his last public functions was as guest of the recent lower school speech day.

In thanking him for his long support and involvement in the school, headmaster David Dunn said:" Imagine, then, the following job advertisement.

Wanted: intelligent, articulate, sensitive and good-humoured individual with excellent interpersonal skills to lead major business with £6m turnover and 150 employees for the next 26 years. A flexible working attitude is required, with a willingness to work long and anti-social hours and to be on call 24 hours a day.

"PS. The job is voluntary with no pay or remuneration whatsoever. Would you apply?

"Well, the call to exercise leadership and to steward a school is what attracted our chairman of governors, Donald Blakeley, to take up the reins of Yarm School in 1978.

"Last year, when celebrating the school's silver anniversary, we reminded ourselves of the extraordinary risks taken by our founding governors and trustees in seeking to establish Yarm School in the face of adversity. Yet their determination and abiding vision never failed them and their total dedication won over the many doubters and critics.

"I know that Donald, always ably and willingly supported by his wife, Penelope, has given such a significant proportion of his life to Yarm School, not for any reward but out of a love for Yarm School and what it stands for.

"I hope that you, Donald and Penelope, remain as proud today as you have been over the years of Yarm School's adherence to our founding beliefs despite the insidious erosion of personal standards and public life we witness on a national stage and I pledge that we will remain wedded to them."

Mr Dunn then presented the retiring chairman with "one of the biggest thank you cards ever seen." It was signed by more than 1,000 people, every Yarm School pupil from the early school to the sixth form and every member of staff.

"I hope that, in a simple way, this will impress upon you the way in which the whole school community recognises how your work has touched our lives," he added.