Tower and Town, August 2021 (view the full edition)Monica Weston, Headteacher of St. Peter's Junior School
Monica was an inspirational headteacher and leader. She was a good listener and was approachable to everyone at school, children and adults alike. When her office door was open, children knew that they could go with any problems or share a special memory with her. Their ideas and opinions were valued; they felt safe to express their feelings and, as a result, learnt respect for each other. Monica always said that all the members of her school were like family and she was very proud of them. To know we were appreciated made us all the keener to work hard for her and the school. During her time at St. Peter's, Monica saw the introduction of the new curriculum in 1988, which impacted hugely on how and what was taught. She co-ordinated the successful delivery of in-service programmes so that all teachers felt confident in their teaching and this created a vibrant learning environment. She had high expectations for all students both in learning and behaviour, knowing that this greatly affected their achievement. Monica was a true professional with great organisational skills. Her notes were always hand written in a beautiful script. Her communication skills were a real strength whether she was speaking to an education officer, one of the children, a colleague or parent. Her lasting legacy is that past students and staff will remember her when they think of a great headteacher who believed in them and their abilities. At her untimely death in March 2000, it was said of her by one of my colleagues, "Many things made Monica a special person to all who knew her. Her enthusiasm for the simplest of things was infectious. She had the ability to arouse interest in the most unlikely things, and yet she had the sophistication and depth of background knowledge which enabled her to relate to many people in all walks of life." Photograph of Monica Weston by David Uttley, printed by kind permission of Dianne Uttley. Janet Buck |
Monica Weston became headteacher of St. Peter's Junior School in September 1987 where she remained for 12 years until she had to take early retirement due to ill health. I was fortunate to work with her for eight of those years.