A TEACHER who devoted nearly 30 years of her career to teaching Kendal pupils has retired.

George Airey joined Kirkbie Kendal School in 1990 after previously taught in Bury, Lancashire.

Her teaching career at the school has offered great variety due to her flexibility.

She has taught predominantly history and sociology, along with other humanities and children with special educational needs.

As well as being a classroom practitioner, Mrs Airey has also been head of history, head of sixth Form and also pastoral deputy head.

Her first love has always been the classroom where she could share her passion for her subjects with students of all ages and abilities.

As well as supporting many extra-curricular activities, her enthusiasm allowed her to lead many subject based visits, most notably the very popular and moving annual GCSE trip to Munich.

As deputy head Mrs Airey led the school in raising money and awareness to help build a creche and garden play area for an impoverished community in South Africa along with the local Thandi charity based at the Cross Keys, Cautley Spout.

She plans on visiting South Africa in January 2019 to witness the development of the creche.

Mrs Airey has taken early retirement to continue her recovery from cancer and her charity work will continue to be a main focus along with travel and a return to walking once fit enough.

She said she was very grateful for all of the support and kindness that she had received from so many families in Kendal and South Lakeland, past and present colleagues, students and parents alike.

Head teacher Phil Hyman said: "Mrs Airey is an amazing teacher and she inspired thousands of students to study Sociology and History throughout her 28 years at KKS. She captivated students with her stories and sense of humour. She was dedicated and enthusiastic. Only today I received three thank you messages for Mrs Airey for her 'widening of student's minds and views, for being easy to talk to and a good listener' and for 'your inspiration and support and the help you have given pastorally and academically' and 'thank you so much for bringing history to life'”.