AN OTLEY primary school threw a party for its retiring headteacher this week.

Sybil Parker has been in charge of Ashfield Primary for seven years, during which she has been credited for making great progress and shaping an “excellent community school”.

Staff, along with former colleagues and governors, gathered to hold an after-school party in Mrs Parker’s honour on Wednesday afternoon.

Ashfield Primary celebrated gaining an improved, ‘Good’, rating from Ofsted at its last inspection in 2012.

Inspectors highlighted the “many significant improvements” made under the leadership of Mrs Parker, while she said the improvement was down to “a real team effort from fantastic staff and children”.

Current assistant head teacher Elspeth Warren is to take over as the school’s new head.