A MUCH-loved school secretary has bid a fond farewell to Rufforth primary school after 26 years.

Julie Steel, 60, has worked on the front desk at the school since 1991, when her two young children - now both in their thirties - were still at school.

There were just 38 pupils at Rufforth when she first started - now there are closer to 100.

In her two-and-a-half decades there, "Mrs Steel", as the children know her, has enrolled a total of 398 pupils - some of whom have subsequently returned as parents with their own children at the school.

She has also seen six different head teachers pass through the school, including the current head Jo Slack and her predecessor Mark McDermid - both of whom spoke at a special assembly attended by family and former members of staff on Friday, February 9, her last day.

School staff also celebrated her retirement at a leaving party at the Judges Lodgings in the city centre with a number of past staff members there to surprise her.

Each year group presented Julie with a gift they had made for her and the older children sang a rendition of Take That's Never Forget - one of her favourite songs.

Gifts included flowers - presented by Year 5 pupil Darci Nicholas-Brown - vouchers for her favourite jeweller Tiffany & Co and a personalised clutch bag bearing her initials.

Julie is retiring to spend more time with her family, especially her two granddaughters, Ivy and Macy, who were both born last year only a month apart and has big travel plans, with trips to Norway, New York, Las Vegas and Dubai already booked.