Popular Exeter headmistress Anne Hood is calling it a day after nine years in charge at St Sidwell's Church of England Voluntary Assisted Primary School in York Road.
She took charge of the school when it was being replaced by a new purpose built building - and found school inspectors calling just three days after children moved in.
And inspectors duly priased the school and the "outstanding" support they receive from their teachers.
More recently the former Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Michael Langrish, presented the with its outstanding Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools (SIAS) certificate.
The inspectors reported: "St Sidwell's is a joyful and vibrantly Christian school community which embraces families from a wide variety of faiths and cultures as well as those of no faith.
"It offers to all the same opportunity to experience the love of God within a framework of Christian understanding and high-quality relationships. All its members understand, support and articulate the Christian values upon which the school is based
They also have fun. The head teacher is well remembered for donning a big green hat and cloak to lead the way in the merriment and cut the opening ribbon marking the opening of the school's new infant library section.
The youngsters joined in with the spirit of the occasion and came to school with rat-like masks or penned-on whiskers to play out the old nursery rhyme story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
