STRATTON Primary School has marked the headship of head teacher, Phil Aldis, with the installation of a giant storytelling chair.

The Friends of Stratton Primary School raised money to provide the storytelling chair, and recently presented it to the school.

The chair was placed in the school grounds just before the February half term to commemorate the headship of Mr Aldis, from 2008 to 2017.

The storytelling chair is part of the school’s storytelling area, which is looking to be developed further in the future, and will provide an opportunity for pupils to enjoy stories.

Mr Aldis said: “It is a lovely chair and a brilliant gesture from the Friends.”

The school has since welcomed new headteacher, who was deputy head of the school for 27 years, Penny Simpson. She took over as headteacher in January.

She said: “The Friends of the school decided to commission a storytelling chair, which we have placed in a lovely sunny spot in the school grounds. We chose a position, which means that a large audience can gather in front of the chair on a bank which slopes upwards giving a good view to all — a sort of natural auditorium.

“When the weather improves, we place to tidy and improve the area surround the chair to create a beautiful storytelling area.”

Mr Aldis served as headteacher at Stratton from 2008 to 2017. The whole school community joined to wish him well and to commemorate his leaving with a wide variety of events, including a whole school assembly where every class performed; a tea party for colleagues, parents and past pupils where the staff performed a special song; a staff fun evening where the school was filled with inflatables including assault courses, a sumo and bucking bronco; and a special fun music video, filmed by the whole school.

On his last afternoon, Mr Aldis was ‘clapped out’ of school by every one of the 330 pupils — a ‘very moving experience’, described Mrs Simpson.

Mr Aldis then invited parents, staff, children and governors to join him at a Tamar Lakes Park Run, where he provided cakes.