School’s out for Julie after 26 years behind her desk

by Lucy Stephens

A DEDICATED member of staff at Melbourne Junior School has retired from her job after more than a quarter of a century.

Julie Abbott is a familiar face to many local families because of her work as business manager at the junior school on Packhorse Road, her friendly smile greeting parents and children from the desk in the front office every day

She has now decided to retire after 26 years in the job - and said though she will miss everyone she used to see every day, she is ready for the next set of adventures in her life

Julie started at the junior school in January 1997 and has since then seen four head teachers in the job, the first one when she started being Chris Tilley

So what has changed over the years?

“Quite a lot,” said Julie “Everything was all done on paper, the registers were all paper registers, and obviously that’s all gone on to computers now

“I think the job is more diverse now, there’s so much now with legislation and things like GDPR, whereas back then you just got on with it and did it, basically!

“It’s very diverse, just because there is so much you do in your job You deal with parents, personnel, finance, everything that’s encompassed in the role People sometimes think that it’s just parents and teachers but it’s far wider than that ”

Julie started working at Melbourne Junior

School when her daughters Laura and Suzi were pupils in years five and three She began her working life in a bank, but had then moved to being a business manager at Shelton Infant School, her father having been the head at Shel-

ton Juniors

Some things have remained the same over the years at Melbourne Juniors The uniform remains unchanged, as do the names of the school houses

But, as with any school, what changes are the children and families who move up every year

“Those children who were at the school when I started, some of their children are now there, so it’s that next generation,” said Julie

“It’s nice to see what they are doing now they are grown up and in their 30s, how they are progressing in their jobs and what they have done since they were at school Some of them have got really good jobs – that’s really great to see ”

With her role based in the front office, Julie said part of her job over the years has involved being a listening ear

“I hope I have made a difference in some people’s lives,” she said

But she said that despite being sad to leave and say goodbye, at the age of 63 it was the right time to sign out of the register and move on to new things

“I think as you get a bit older you realise there’s more to life – there’s so much I want to do,” she said

With plans to go on holidays, including a trip to America, she said she will enjoy being at home and enjoying a full week of activities including swimming – which she does three or four times a week – and walking her dog

“I’ll miss the people for sure,” she said “Melbourne has been part of my life – when I walk into Melbourne, everybody says hello ”

Julie enjoyed a slap-up leaving do with colleagues past and present at The Dragon in Willington