A Coventry school has celebrated the career of a teaching assistant who has retired after almost 25 years.

St Gregory's Catholic Primary School has bid a fond farewell to Margaret Mcnally who worked at the school for 24 years.

A ‘This is Your Life’ staff briefing was held where colleagues shared photos and memories of Margaret’s time at St Gregory’s before the whole school made their way onto the playground and formed a guard of honour as she did a parade through the playground and was presented with cards and gifts.

A special balloon release in Margaret’s honour was also held in which prayers of thanks written by the children were attached to the balloons before they were released.

Margaret first became a governor of the school, which is now part of the Romero Catholic Academy, in 1995 when her own children Christopher and Sarah attended St Gregory’s before starting her role providing one-to-one support for children with special educational needs.

This position saw her work with children as they progressed through the school before she changed roles to become a teaching assistant for Years 5 and 6.

Margaret has worked with five Principals throughout the years and taught generations of the same families as those she has worked with have grown up and had children of their own.

“It’s been hugely rewarding working at St Gregory’s and I can honestly say that I haven’t had a single bad day,” said Margaret.

“The children I have worked with throughout the years have been fantastic and it’s been lovely to see them progress and grow – some have even gone on to have children of their own who I’ve been lucky enough to teach.

“There have been some outstanding teachers and support staff over the years who have all worked towards the same goals of making the children happy while providing the best education possible.

“There have been so many highlights over my time at St Gregory’s, including some brilliant residential trips to Alton Castle.

“My role as governor, which I will continue until the end of August, has also given me an insight into the inner workings of the school and how decisions are made around elements such as finances, policies and recruitment.

“I’ve made some great friends who I know I will keep in touch with in the future, and I would like to thank them for a fantastic last day.

“I now look forward to having more time to relax, seeing my three lovely grandchildren a bit more and visiting my family in Ireland.”

Interim Head of School, Megan Scullion, added: “Margaret is a much-loved member of staff who has made a difference to the lives of so many children throughout the years.

“She will certainly be missed by everyone at St Gregory’s and we wish her the very best for her retirement.”