Every Mum sheds a tear when her child goes off to school for the first time and Kerry Dewberry was no exception.

While four-year-old George was settling into reception class at Halfway Houses School, she was at home in Belmont Road, looking through her own early days photographs at the same school.

Happily she is sharing them with us, so perhaps Paul Harcup, Alison Bonner, Teresa Gregory, Lisa Wickenden and Raymond Barnes will remember the shiny-haired Kerry Richards perched far left on the front row.

She’s the one with the bag worn neatly at her side. The year is 1975 and the teacher was Mrs Foreman.

Kerry has all her school pictures up to 1978 while at Halfway, and others of her time at Danley Middle School right through to what was then Sheppey Comprehensive School.

Elder son Jack is following the same pattern of education, but it will all change for George who will be part of the brave new Academy system.

Kerry’s parents, however, are keeping the flag flying at the re-christened Minster College.

Mum, Dorothy Richard is a teaching assistant, and Dad, Brian is a technician teaching car mechanics.