After 30 years of dedication, a much-loved staff member at Bishop’s Waltham Junior School has announced her retirement.

Jeannette Mars celebrated the remarkable milestone on January 25. 

Jeannette has worked as a teaching assistant, as well as an emotional literacy support assistant. She has helped children with friendships, parental separation, grief, and countless other challenges.

Headteacher Darren Campbell said she will be incredibly missed.

He said: “Words cannot begin to describe the positive impact she has had on the emotional wellbeing of hundreds upon hundreds of pupils.

"Her level of care, empathy, and compassion that she has for the children goes above and beyond what is expected. She works tirelessly with the families to ensure the children are happy, feel safe and ready to learn.”

After beginning her journey at the school three decades ago as a dinner lady, Jeannette was approached with a position as a teaching assistant. In her time there she has worked in every year group but found she especially liked working with children in Year 3. 

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One of Jeannette’s achievements was a project called Worldclass, which she set up in 2005. The project supported children at schools in Gambia, and through their pen pal scheme more than 60 children at Bishop’s Waltham corresponded with children three thousand miles away.

The pandemic was a particular challenge, and Jeannette spoke about how they faced the real fallout of it a year later.

They discovered children had begun to express the need for extra emotional support on returning to school.

However, despite the obstacles she has faced across her time at the school, Jeannette said that the best part of her job was watching the children succeed.

She said: “Seeing the children being able to access the curriculum was incredibly rewarding.”

Jeannette and her husband moved to Dorset 16 years ago, but she remained dedicated to her work in Bishop’s Waltham.

The long commute home serves as her ‘thinking time’, and she said: “I use that time to think about what’s happened in my day, and how I can improve in my work. That way I can relax by the time I get home.”

Jeannette also spoke highly of the school, and of her colleagues. “The school is amazing, and the staff are incredible. I couldn’t do my job without them.”

With her retirement coming at the end of this academic year, Jeannette plans to spend more time with her five grandchildren, to garden and go on walks with her husband George, who retired three years ago.

She is also considering doing some voluntary work for child bereavement charities, but not before she’s had some well-deserved time off.