The Deputy Headteacher at Belmont Grosvenor School is retiring after more than four decades in the teaching profession.
Pam Dight, 65, first joined BGS it was to work as a supply teacher at the all-girls Belmont Birklands School in Harrogate, which later merged with all-boys prep school Grosvenor House, to become co-educational Belmont Grosvenor School in the year 2000.
Pam Dight started her teaching career in the West Midlands:
I was originally asked to work for two weeks to cover a teacher who was off work ill back in 1996. When I was asked back, I’ve literally never looked back, and been at Belmont Grosvenor School ever since,” said Mrs Dight.
I have been teaching for 43 years and have always viewed it as a way of life, not just a job. I am going to miss the children so much – every day there is something one of them says or does that makes me smile.
I really love teaching and I have loved the enthusiasm of all the children I have taught – it has been a real joy to me throughout all my years in the job.
One of the biggest changes Mrs Dight has seen during her four decades in the teaching profession is the progression from blackboards and chalk to whiteboards and computers!
Mum-of-three Mrs Dight moved to North Yorkshire in the 1990s with her husband Chris, who worked at BGS as Head of Boys PE for many years before he retired two years ago.
Originally appointed as a Year 2 teacher and Head of English, Mrs DIght also worked as Head of Pre-Prep before taking on her role as Deputy Headteacher at Belmont Grosvenor School in 2009.
As Deputy Headteacher Mrs Dight is involved in the day-to-day smooth-running of Belmont Grosvenor, which was rated ‘outstanding’ and ‘excellent’ in its latest Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) inspection, as well as teaching history, geography and English to Year 5 and 6 pupils.
Outside school, Mrs Dight is looking forward to spending time with her two-year-old grandson Marcus, and having more time to enjoy her hobbies of tennis, bridge, theatre and books.
A member of Harrogate Spa Tennis Club, Mrs Dight is also looking forward to enjoying holidays outside the school term times!
Pam added
Belmont Grosvenor School has been such a beautiful place to work – every day I turn up at this fabulous building in these wonderful grounds and feel lucky. I will miss the environment as well as the children and my colleagues.
But I’m also really looking forward to having more time after starting my first teaching job in Solihull in 1975 and working for 43 years.
Gordon Milne, Chairman of the Governors at Belmont Grosvenor School, said Mrs Dight had made an ‘outstanding’ contribution to the school during her 22 years:
The governors acknowledge the outstanding contribution Pam has made has made to BGS during her 22 years of dedicated service – her assured and encouraging leadership, her excellent teaching and most importantly her care of the children.
We wish her a well-deserved, happy and healthy retirement.
