Mellers Primary: A farewell to the retiring headteacher after a 34-year career

A Nottingham headteacher is to retire after more than 30 years in teaching. Pupils and teachers at Mellers Primary, Radford, have thanked headteacher Amanda Dawson for all her years of service as she prepares to retire at the end of term after leading the school for 17 years.

Miss Dawson has been head of Mellers since 2007 and the school has become known for its inclusive and community-led approach to teaching. Outdoor learning and music are incorporated into the curriculum, while the school has provision for its 13 profoundly deaf pupils and has recently federated with Nottingham Nursery School.

Between them, the children speak nearly 40 languages ​​from around the world, and the school celebrates the ethnic diversity of the Radford community it serves. Amanda says advocating for communities that are often ignored by society has guided her teaching career.

“When I got into teaching, I knew I wanted to do something that had a strong moral imperative,” she said. “To make a difference to communities that are sometimes a bit disenfranchised and ignored by society – I know the potential is there, and boy oh boy are we fulfilling it.

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“At Mellers, we talk a lot about the ‘shattering glass ceilings’ that society can put in place for communities like ours. It’s our job to destroy them, and we know our part is to make sure our kids are ready for high school. to continue that progress.

“We know that many of our kids go on to very good universities as we follow them through. One of our students, whose mother works here – originally as a dinner lady and now as a teaching assistant – has won a place to read medicine at Cambridge.

“I felt like there was another crack in the glass ceiling. We’re really proud of the idea that we can make societal change because we know we have a potential Prime Minister here in our community of Radford and we want to do that. happen.”

Miss Dawson first came to Nottingham in the 80s from Manchester to study history at university, however after graduating she knew she wanted to go into teaching. Three years later she gained her qualifications at Trent Polytechnic and has worked in Nottingham schools for the 34 years since, 17 of which have been spent at Mellers.

She has played a vital role in the school’s growth since 2007, overseeing a new nursery building, a doubling of pupil intake, the federation with Nottingham Nursery School and the provision of teaching for 13 profoundly deaf pupils. . Amanda says now, as she prepares to leave, that although she feels emotional about her departure, she feels ready to go.

“It will be very difficult because this community has embraced me and we are like a family. We have such a fantastic team and I love my children, staff and parents so much.

“I’ve loved being a part of it and it’s going to be really hard to leave because if I’m having a bad day, all I have to do is see the kids here or see a member of staff and they’ll be ready with a hug and a smile or a kind word. It will be very hard to leave behind.

“But I’m 60 in the summer and I have to slow down because sometimes the responsibility for 800 people, their safety and their happiness can be overwhelming. – that I will miss him very much.”

Mellers Primary School, which is part of Nottingham City Schools, was rated ‘good’ overall in its last Ofsted inspection in 2022, with annual pupil results always slightly above the national average. The school has a number of success stories, including pupils going on to the Royal Marines, playing for Lithuania’s water polo team and swimming at national level for Great Britain.

Current Heads of School Lorna Dermody and Joy Buttress have both applied to take over as Head of School from next term. Amanda says that in retirement she plans to travel the world, something she has “always wanted to do”.

However, she will continue to support the school in the background. “I’m not ready to stop yet, but it’s really time to let the next generation that has the energy take the mantle. Lorna and Joy share the same moral imperative as me and we created the vision. together over the years, but they also have new ideas and energy. I don’t think I have the energy I used to have, so it’s possibly the best of both worlds.

In a letter to the school, Miss Dermody and Miss Buttress thanked Amanda for her work over the past 17 years: “We hope she knows how much she is loved and appreciated for the incredible service she has given to our community. Thanks again Miss Dawson, we will miss you very much but we are sure you will have a wonderful retirement. We look forward to hearing about your adventures.”