RICHARD Clark, the long-serving head teacher of Ballaugh Primary School is to retire at the end of the summer term.
Mr Clark has spent his entire 37-year career the Isle of Man, teaching at Fairfield Junior School, Peel Clothworkers’ Primary School and Andreas Primary School before becoming deputy head teacher at Jurby Primary School in 1991 and moving to head Ballaugh three years later.
He is proud of the sporting success his small school, which has 71 pupils, has achieved. It has won the Dolphin Trophy swimming gala no fewer than nine times in the last 11 years and its teams excel in table tennis, football, netball and cricket.
Pupils’ garden plots regularly win awards in the Island in Bloom competition while a current achievement sees their written work displayed at the Bright Water Visitor Centre, Skye which celebrates the work of author Gavin Maxwell.
“We have always tried to turn out well-rounded young people by giving them a good range of sports, activities and clubs, coupled with good academic standards, and we have always played a big part in the community,” Mr Clark said.
He has enjoyed the “busy mix of teaching, administration, sport and all the other aspects that are an essential part of life in a small school”. He added, “A typical day starts at 7.30am, unlocking the school, then putting the table tennis tables out.
“You could be teaching first session and later pushing a puddle of water out through the school gate with a sweeping brush because the soakaway is blocked (although it’s thankfully now fixed). There’s never a dull moment.”
Mr Clark is married to Ann, a senior special needs support officer at Laxey Primary School. Their daughter Julie lives near Manchester and works as home marketing and monitoring manager for a company that manufactures heart pacemakers and monitors.
Among Mr Clark’s retirement plans is to put to good use the golf lessons Ann bought him for his recent 60th birthday. “I also want to do more walking along the coast and over the hills. I don’t know the Island well at all, despite having lived here since I was eight.”
He also sees retirement as an opportunity to travel further afield – to the Outer Hebrides and Skye, which he is fond of, and to watch Chesterfield FC, something he describes as “a pilgrimage rather than just a journey”.
“I hope I have indoctrinated most of the pupils at Ballaugh into becoming loyal Chesterfield FC supporters,” he said. “The cake they gave me for my 60th was superb, with the club badge emblazoned on the top. However, I think they may be fed up with me talking about the legendary Jack Lester.”
Mr Clark will initially be succeeded by Graeme Cushnie, currently deputy head teacher at Manor Park Primary School, who will be seconded as acting head teacher.
Dr Cushnie moved to the Island in 1991 to study at the Liverpool University Marine Biological Station. He was awarded a PhD in marine ecology. He trained as a teacher and initially worked at the Isle of Man College, then started his primary teaching career at Rushen Primary School.
He remained there for five years before being recruited to the peripatetic team. Seven years ago, while working at Manor Park Primary, he was appointed its deputy head teacher.
