THE latest recipient of The Mail's Bouquet of the Week is a retiring headteacher who has served a school for the past nine years.

Julie O'Connor, of Dowdales School in Dalton, has been given the flowers as she prepares to leave at the end of term.

Ms O'Connor has been nominated for the flowers by chair of governors Caron Hindle, who thanked her for years of dedication.

Caren said: "She has been an amazing head over the past nine years and is taking a well earned early

retirement.

"The responsibility of governors is to ensure we set the vision and aims of the school to ensure all pupils achieve the very best they can achieve through the hard work and commitment of the headteacher and all staff maintaining the aims and values of the school.

"Over the past nine years Julie has set and maintained the high standards and ensured they have been met in line with the schools ethos ensuring that every student is treated as an individual and has all the tools, support and encouragement available to enable them to reach their absolute highest dreams and achievements.

"On behalf of all the governors we would like to thank and celebrate all the hard work and commitment Julie has given to the school and we all wish her a very well deserved retirement."

The headteacher said she would spend her retirement travelling in Scandinavia and hoped to visit the Norwegian archipelago Svalbard.

Julie said: "The last nine years have been a real team effort.

"The school has moved forward in all kinds of ways in that time.

"I'm going to miss everyone at the school - staff and students."

Emma Aubrey is due to take over as Julie's successor in September.

Caren said she was looking forward to the current deputy headteacher taking over for the next school year.

If you would like to nominate a special person or group for The Mail's Bouquet of the Week, then please get in touch by emailing dan.taylor@newsquest.co.uk, making sure to leave your contact details or call 01229 840175.

The flowers are provided by the team at Ellie's Florist at Hill Foot Garden Centre, Ulverston.