Pupils pay touching tribute to retiring headmistress Jean

Overwhelmed. That was how retiring headteacher Jean Moyser felt as the surprises came thick and fast during her last day at school.
Jean Moyser is retiring as headteacher at Flanshaw J&I.Jean Moyser is retiring as headteacher at Flanshaw J&I.
Jean Moyser is retiring as headteacher at Flanshaw J&I.

Pupils and staff made it a day to remember when they performed a mannequin challenge, whilst all wearing masks of the 62-year-old.

Their routine followed a special ‘This is Your Life’ leaving assembly for ‘Queen Jean’, who has been the 
head at Flanshaw Junior 
and Infant School for five years.

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She sat on a throne to hear tributes from youngsters, who all dressed in jeans in her honour.

Foundation Stage pupils sang The Sounds of Music’s So Long, Farewell, whilst children in Key Stage One performed a sketch showing a day in the life of Mrs Moyser.

Years three and four re-wrote the lyrics to Gloria Gaynor track I Will Survive, making it about her retirement, and the school’s eldest students choreographed a dance and song to round off the showcase.

Mrs Moyser then handed her throne to deputy head Caroline Butterworth, who is taking over as the new headteacher, after a Game of Thrones inspired stage-battle.

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Mrs Butterworth said: “It had all been quite emotional and everyone was having a cry, so that was just a bit of fun to make light of things and have a laugh. It was a really beautiful special assembly.

“Jean was known to be eccentric and quirky so we then wanted to so something a little unique to reflect her personality.”

Mrs Moyser, of Gomersal, trained to be a teacher at Leeds Carnegie University.

She worked at various schools in Kirklees before joining Flanshaw as deputy head in 2007. Mrs Moyser, who was also a body builder, then took on the role as headteacher in 2012.

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Mrs Butterworth said: “Jean has worked tirelessly to improve the outcomes for pupils at Flanshaw School.

“Every decision that she has made has been for the good of the children and the community that she has served.

“Over the ten years that she has been in post, Flanshaw has moved from Inadequate to a strong Good [in its Ofsted inspections], and this has been largely due to Jean’s dedication ad vision for the school.

“She will be greatly missed.”

Mrs Moyser says that she will use her retirement to travel and spend more 
time with her grandchildren.