THE decision to retire after 40 years in education was made easier by two difficult years, said head of St Andrew’s Primary Mary Sebire.

She will be replaced by deputy head Linda Paley.

Ms Sebire (pictured) had planned to retire last summer but the school was one of three earmarked for closure last year.

‘I couldn’t leave the school in such a precarious position,’ said the head, who will say goodbye at the end of term.

‘I have described the last few months as a rollercoaster, with some real highs and lows, but someone from Education said it was more like bungee jumping, which was a good description,’ she said.

Ms Sebire trained at the Froebel Institute at Roehampton before becoming a class teacher at Hautes Capelles.

She moved to La Mare de Carteret as part of its original team, staying for 14 years and becoming head of infants before taking up the post of head teacher at St Sampson’s Infants, staying for 10 years. She became head of St Andrew’s in 1996.