Head Steps Down

A LEIGH headteacher is stepping down after 13 years at the helm of a Leigh infant School.

After dedicating decades of her life to the field of education and earning much love and respect, Yolande Sayer, from Shoebury, has decided to step down from her role.

For the past 13 years, Mrs Sayer has been the guiding force behind West Leigh Infant School, located on Ronald Hill Grove.

Mrs Sayer said: “I just feel so lucky to have had the pleasure of working with such an amazing bunch of people.

“I have loved my job at West Leigh Infant School, to be there at the start of the children’s educational journeys and to see them grow with different skills, such as reading and writing, has been a real privilege.”

Her decision comes as she looks forward to spending more quality time with her eight grandchildren.

“I now feel the time has come where retirement is the next step to take. I plan to spend more time with the grandkids.”

She continued: “Miss [Sarah] Froydenlund, who is our current deputy headteacher and has been here for many years, will be replacing me in September, and she is going to do a wonderful job.”

Before her tenure at West Leigh Infant School, Mrs Sayer also contributed to the educational journey of children at Hingular Primary School and Nursery in Shoebury.

Now, as she bids a final farewell to her role as headteacher, the community acknowledged her tremendous dedication to supporting and nurturing young minds throughout her career.

John Lamb, Conservative councillor for the West Leigh ward, worked closely with Mrs Sayer and the team at the infant school for many years, when he was a governor at the junior school.

He commented: “Yolande and the team did such a tremendous job in teaching our little ones, getting them ready to come up in junior school, and she was the leader of that great work.

“It’s so lovely that she can now enjoy a well-deserved rest and spend time with her grandchildren, which I’m sure she’ll provide her excellent teaching to.

“Thank you for your service.”

West Leigh Infant School has been serving families in West Leigh for over a century and caters to children aged four to seven.

Under Mrs Sayer’s leadership, the school received high praise during its last Ofsted inspection in 2018, earning a “good” rating.

Inspectors lauded the school for providing a good quality of education and setting high expectations for its pupils.

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