WHEN teaching assistant Lynne Nash first started working at Crowdys Hill School in 1978, the children who studied there were known as ‘educationally sub normal’.

Now facing retirement 37 years later, the face of education for children with special educational needs has changed irrevocably.

“The biggest changes are the number of classrooms we have got because didn’t have as many classes when I first came,” said the 65-year-old.

“When I first came to be interviewed for a job as a dinner lady I didn’t even know it was a school for children with special needs.

“There were only five TAs (teaching assistants) in the whole school. Now we have 20. It was a very different world back then.”

Serving under five different head teachers during her time at Crowdys, Lynne, who will spend her last day at the school today(Jul16), became a teaching assistant in the early 80s after filling in for a colleague while they were ill.

“They have all brought something different to the school,” she said.

“They have all made their different marks and changed things as time went on.”

Lynne plans to remain actively involved with the school through the Friends organisation and helping to raise money to pay for various extra-curricular activities for the children, but said the time had come to retire.

“I’ve started seeing the children of the children who used to come here coming through the doors,” she said.

“I want to stop putting e alarm on before I see the third generation.

“My husband is retired now and I’m just looking forward to spending more time together and with our family.

“I don’t know exactly what I will do yet, because I am going to start with treating it just like any other summer holidays.

“We are going away in September and again in October, but after that I don’t know.”

Mrs Mags Clarke, head teacher at Crowdys Hill, said: “Lynne has been an integral part of life at Crowdys Hill.

“She has played a huge role in fostering the sense of community.

She added: “Lynne will do anything to help anyone, whether it’s supporting the head or caring for a crying Year 7, and it’s that versatility and adaptability which makes Lynne so special.

“Lynne has always been the person to go to.”