Chadlington Primary School volunteer receives MBE in Queen's New Year Honours (From Cotswold Journal)

Chadlington Primary School volunteer receives MBE in Queen's New Year Honours

11:45am Tuesday 5th January 2010

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JEAN Heath has received an MBE, in the Queen’s New Year Honours, for more than 40 years’ service to a village school near Chipping Norton.

Now aged 72, Jean began doing voluntary work at Chadlington Primary School when Steven, the oldest of her four sons, started studying there in 1967.

She has been a volunteer at the school for most of her 43 years there, although she did receive a part-time wage from 1993 until officially retiring two years ago.

Jean resumed voluntary work at the school and has no intention of leaving.

Her duties include reading stories to the children and helping them with sewing and other arts and craft subjects.

Jean’s other sons, David, Clive and Calvin, also attended the school, the youngest leaving in the 1980s.

Born and raised in Woodley, near Reading, she subsequently lived in Gerrard’s Cross, Buckinghamshire and Goring-on-Thames, Oxfordshire.

She and husband, Peter, moved to Chadlington in 1961 when he got a gardening job there.

Jean remembers school camping trips, in the 1990s, as highlights of her time at Chadlington Primary.

She said she stayed on at Chadlington Primary because she loves working there.

Jean said it keeps her fit because she walks to and from the school every day.

Teacher, Margaret Sahin, nominated Jean for the award.

Jean said she was “petrified” when first told she was to receive it.

She said: “It’s just that I’m a bit ordinary.

“To get an award for something you enjoy doing is quite good.”

Chadlington Primary’s headteacher, Bertie Hornibrook, said: “The school is delighted because she has been supporting the school since 1967 and does so much for us.

“It’s well-deserved recognition.”

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