When Chris Ward popped into Warren Wood Junior School to let them know her neighbour couldn't make it into work that day, little did she know that it was the start of a new life.

As Mrs Ward passed on the message, the head teacher asked her to fill in as dinner lady for the day.

Now, after 28 years in various roles at the Rochester school, Mrs Ward has retired.

Head teacher Belinda Beckhelling said: "The school will miss a very caring, skilled and dedicated colleague.

"In the two years that I have known Chris, she has presented as a very hard-working, conscientious lady who primarily has the children's interests at heart and who gets on in a very unassuming and humble manner with all she is asked to do."

After her initial stint as a dinner lady, Mrs Ward began working full time as a midday meals supervisor.

She then moved on to provide cover for the learning support assistant. Mrs Ward worked with a deaf pupil and provided him with support until he was offered a place at a specialist school.

For the past 19 years, she has worked at the school's language centre. Staff and pupils said goodbye to her with a party.

She hopes to spend her retirement travelling with her husband, and is looking forward to the birth of her grandchild in November. She will still pop into the school to see how the children are doing.

Teacher Whitney Curtis and dinner lady Gaynor Morris have also left.
Danecourt School in Gillingham also said goodbye to a long-serving member of staff this week.

There was a surprise party for Margaret McNair, who is retiring after 18 years at the school.

She said she had always wanted to be a teacher, and, like Mrs Ward, was looking forward to travelling with her husband.