Derby school principal retires after 34 years in education

The principal of a Derby secondary academy has announced her retirement from education after 34 years at the chalkface.

Michelle Strong, 56, who since September 2021 has been principal at the 890-pupil Alvaston Moor Academy on Bracken’s Lane – part of Archway Learning Trust - said she knows the time is now right to say goodbye.

“I’m so proud of what has been achieved at Alvaston Moor,” said Michelle. “I will really miss everyone here. But sometimes you suddenly realise life is short and there is more I’d like to do. My husband retires in September and we’d like to travel, and I’d like to see my mum in Lancashire more often.”

It has been a busy career for Lancashire lass Michelle, who says she never looked back since her own head teacher at primary school inspired her to work hard and pass her 11+.

Hailing from a traditional farming background, Michelle and her brother Jonathan were the first in their family to go to university and she credits her own education for “opening every door”.

Two teachers in particular had a huge impact on the young Michelle.

She said: “My primary school head teacher from way back, he had a massive impact on me because he told me I could do something with my life, and not to waste it.

“He challenged me to pass my 11+. He obviously realised I was academically able but from an area where people didn’t go to the grammar school. It was a time when everybody did their 11+. I was fortunate enough to pass it and I went to grammar school. For me, education opened every door.”

Continuing her studies at Clitheroe Girls’ Grammar School, Michelle discovered an aptitude for languages, particularly loving her lessons in Latin, French and German.

It was here she met the second teacher to have a huge positive influence: Mr Carter, who taught her Latin.

“I loved him, and I loved his lessons,” she said. “He was quite strict. He was quite firm, but he had a sense of humour as well.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do and he gave me some advice I never forgot. He said, ‘Go away, and think about what you are good at, and what you most want to do in life’.”

This advice was to prove pivotal and Michelle – who had been “obsessed with Eastern Europe” since reading children’s classic novel The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier - won a place at Newcastle Polytechnic, now the University of Northumbria, to study German, Russian and Politics.

She then travelled to Russia – a country she loved, saying: “I remember it being very cold and very snowy, but nothing stopped as a result of the weather. The people were so lovely and so friendly though, and the undergrounds were immaculate, with chandeliers!”

In Russia Michelle had her first taste of standing in front of a class and from that moment, realised she was meant to be a teacher.

A long and busy career has seen her teaching in Sheffield, Yarmouth, heading up an armed services school in Germany, returning to the UK where she was principal of Nottingham’s The Bulwell Academy, before taking on her next principal’s role at Alvaston Moor – where she has continued to teach French too.

Recently pronounced to be “improving” in a positive report from Ofsted, Michelle said she is proud of what has been achieved at the school and is looking forward to seeing it continue to make brilliant progress in the hands of her successor.

“I want to see it continue to thrive and grow in the way it has been growing, and that students continue to realise the value of a good education that will open up doors for them,” she said.

“I will really miss the children and colleagues in school and the wider trust, but the time is right for me to retire and go out and see the world again!”

For Michelle, who retires at Easter, many years of 5am starts and getting to school at 7am ready to start the day are soon to come to a close.

She will be spending the coming weeks conducting a full handover with her successor, who has been appointed by Archway Learning Trust and will be formally announced in the coming weeks.

The school also has a new executive principal in place, Ann Donaghy, who started her new role overseeing several schools including Alvaston Moor Academy at the start of the year.