THE head teacher of a York primary school, Angela Johnson, is retiring after more than 17 years at the helm.

And her deputy, Kate Elliot, is also moving on to pastures new - in a new job training the next generation of teachers - after a similar amount of time at the same school.

Mrs Johnson, 56, took over as head at Fishergate Primary School in January 1986, a term after Mrs Elliot, now 54, arrived as a part-time teacher.

Mrs Johnson said she had always promised herself she would stop work in time to do all the other things she enjoyed. She intended getting out on the golf course and reducing her handicap, and also gardening - both at her riverside home and at an allotment she had recently taken.

She said her time at Fishergate had been enjoyable while challenging, dealing with a constant series of changes brought in by different governments. She said she had always wanted her pupils to enjoy their education and find learning fun.

Mrs Elliot, who is to become a lecturer training teachers at York St John College, said she had had 18 very happy years at Fishergate, and she felt the time was now right to take up a new challenge.

Mrs Eva Kora-Shaw, currently head teacher at Crayke Primary School, takes over as head at Fishergate in September.

Updated: 08:52 Tuesday, July 15, 2003