Two of Telford’s best known secondary school heads have retired with the end of term - their combined service totalling nearly 60 years.
John Sullivan, from The Lord Silkin, is one of the borough’s most experienced teachers and during his 35 year career has transformed the fortunes of several schools.
The other head departing is Mrs Gwen Kelsey, from the Charlton School in Wellington, who has 23 years’ service.
Mr Sullivan’s career began more than 4,000 miles away when he took his first teaching job in Jamaica with Voluntary Service Overseas.
He later became a teacher in Wolverhampton, followed by Phoenix School, Dawley, before becoming a deputy head at Ercall Wood in Wellington and head of Lacon Childe in Cleobury Mortimer in 1989.
He returned to Phoenix, then a struggling school, in 1998 and in just a couple of years saw it removed from special measures. In 2003, he took over at Orleton Park in Wellington, which was then identified as showing “serious weaknesses.”
Again within a few years, he had transformed the school and oversaw its successful merger into the new Hadley Learning Community.
From Orleton Park, he moved to the Lord Silkin, whose fortunes he has also turned around.
Mr Sullivan, 57, said his last day was an emotional one and he was truly sorry to be leaving. “I have valued my time at all of the schools in which I have worked and I have made some terrific friends in that time, professionally and personally.
“I think teaching is all about making a contribution to other people’s lives, be they the children or their families.”
Mr Sullivan said he wanted to continue working in education, both at a consultancy level and directly with teachers and children.
Mrs Kelsey arrived at the Charlton in 1985 as teacher in charge of biology, became head of science in 1990, deputy head in 1976 and head in September 2005.
She told the annual assembly that working at the school had been a privilege and she would continue to take a keen interest in it during her retirement.
