Teacher Julie Ballinger will say goodbye to her students for the last time today as she
retires from Frogwell Primary School in Chippenham.


The 60-year-old, originally from Hertfordshire, has been teaching the special educational needs class at the school for the past 22 years.


Her last day is today and she said it will be emotional saying goodbye.
Mrs Ballinger said: “I saw the job at Frogwell come up and thought it had my name written all over it. I have been here ever since.


“I love to have a class of my own and I have had a fantastic time here.
“It is such a lovely school and I am privileged to have worked here.


“The children, for all the problems they might have, are wonderful little characters and they are great fun to be around. They have been the best part of my job.
“I will miss it very much but I don’t think it will sink in until September comes around again and I won’t be going back to school. It will be the same for the children, they will only really get it when they come back and I am not here anymore.”


While Frogwell is a mainstream school, it also has a dedicated special needs unit.
Mrs Ballinger, 60, has spent her time at the school teaching children with a
variety of different learning difficulties and of mixed ages.

She said she won’t be abandoning working with children altogether.
She said: “Away from work I am a very keen painter and I have co-ordinated the art in school.


“I intend to do a lot more painting now and I would like to do some extended school work with art as well.


“And I will be child minding my 15-month-old niece, which is something I am
really looking forward to.


“Plus my garden and my home always seem slightly on the verge of chaos so it will be nice to get control of that, too.”