By timesecholife on in All News, Featured News
A FORMER headteacher has left a Moorlands school after more than two decades as he moves on to pastures new. Mike Prescott has called time on his teaching career after 23 years at Cheadle Primary School. Mr Prescott, who teaches music, told the Times and Echo: “I've been teaching for 41 years and I've taught at five or six different schools.
“Before this, the longest I’d been at a school was six years; I never dreamed I’d stay at a school for 23 years.
“I think it’s the right time to do some different things.
“I’ll be teaching music in different schools and doing some other work across Staffordshire.
“It just seems the right time to go.”
The 62-year-old, who joined as headteacher in 1996 before stepping down from the leading role in 2015, said he will miss the productions the school puts on each year and that he hopes: “if there’s one thing I hope the children and I take away would be all the plays we’ve done.”
The music teacher began his teaching career in 1978 and said the education system has changed “massively” since then.
He said: “I think there is much greater demand on teachers and headteachers; (greater) pressure around results and getting things right.
“There’s more pressure on these youngsters.
“We’re testing them at five and six – we never used to do that.
“That’s tough and is harder on the schools.”
Mr Prescott advised new teachers who are about to enter the profession for the first time to “make sure there are things that the children are doing outside of the classroom; things that are memorable experiences that they’re always going to remember.”
He said: “Those are the things that will enthuse them and then they will work hard at the day-to-day things.”
When asked about how he’d like to be remembered, the long-serving teacher said: “I’d hope to have been somebody who has helped children achieve high academic standards through music, drama, dance and the arts.
“I always believe that music, drama, dance, the arts and sport are all the things that make children want to get out of the bed in the morning.”
Mr Prescott added: “I’d like to thank all the pupils that have been through the school in my time, all the parents that have given me fantastic support over that time and all the staff that have been through the school during my time here.”
In honour of his service to Cheadle Primary School, the school has created the Prescott Music Award which is given to students for great achievements in music.
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