The last day of term at Leeds and Broomfield Church of England Primary School saw Julie Wellman deluged with flowers and good wishes.

Mrs Wellman who has been head of school at Leeds for the past four years has taken early retirement.

She said: "The hardest part is been leaving the children, who have been lovely."

Mrs Wellman has had a 40-year career in education: as a nursery nurse, teacher and head teacher in London and Kent.

For seven years she worked as a local authority school improvement officer.

She said: "Of all the schools I have worked in, Leeds and Broomfield is definitely one of the best. The staff are so caring, the parents and governors so supportive and the children are just fantastic!"

During her tenure she has seen the school grow from 70 pupils to 83, and from three classes to four.

The school is part of the KULB federation with Kingswood and Ulcombe primary schools, which has Emma Hickling as the executive head. Mrs Wellman said: "Emma too has been incredibly supportive and I am delighted that at our last Ofsted inspection we were rated a good school."

She also praised the school council whose young members had done so much to develop the outside play area and who, she said, had made a "significant difference to our school."

Mrs Wellman was given a special farewell assembly at the school today and presented with gifts that included a day out at a spa.

She said: "My office looks like a florist with all the lovely plants and flowers I have been given."

She now plans to go travelling in her motor-home with her husband Ray, to visit Stratford upon Avon to see Romeo and Juliet performed in Shakespeare's birthplace, as well as plenty of gardening.

She said retiring had been a hard decision to make, but she was "leaving with some lovely memories."