Final bell for Merrylee head after 41-year teaching career

Liz Mahindru (pictured third left at a school event) says she was very fortunate to be head teacher of such a fantastic school.

Liz Mahindru has now officially retired from her position as headteacher at Merrylee Primary School.

It was 41 years ago in August 1977 when Liz first realised her dream as a young girl and began her career in education.

Liz said: “I always wanted to be a teacher, even when I was a young girl.

“My neighbour was a teacher and I always admired her.

“I would help her out with the school football team and assist with the marking.

“I just knew that it was something that I wanted to do.”

Teaching in various schools throughout her career, it was in 1998 that she took up the post at Merrylee Primary School.

Liz continued: “When I started at the school, there was only 140 pupils and now there is around 500 – that has been a big change!

“It really is such a fantastic school; the staff are great, the parents are so supportive and the children are absolutely fantastic.

“It really is such a caring community and I’ve been very lucky during my time here.”

A career highlight for Liz happened while at Merrylee, as she explains.

“The school developed a state-of-the-art outside classroom.

“One of my passions is learning outdoors and health and wellbeing.

“It’s a concept that has been adopted at other schools not only across Scotland but furher afield. It is something that I am very proud of being involved in.”

Liz enjoyed a special assembly two weeks ago which saw pupils and staff past and present join together with head of education Maureen McKenn and other dignitaries, along with families and friends, to give Liz the send of that she deserved.

And Liz won’t be taking it easy now that she’s officially restired – she’s set to jet more than 4,500 miles this weekend.

“I’m heading off to India for a month,” she said. “It’s a place that I’ve always wanted to go and I’m really looking forward to it.

“I’ll be visiting the Himalayas and I really want to see a tiger!”

Liz continued: “But leaving the school isn’t a decision that I’ve taken lightly; it has been very hard to say goodbye to all the pupils and the staff.

“That will be the hardest part of retiring.

“But I’m sure I will be back for a visit!”