A HEAD teacher in York has won an award for being truly awesome.

Lesley Barringer, head at Osbaldwick Primary Academy, has won the Kip McGrath Education Centre York East’s first “Awesome Teacher Award”.

The competition was run through the centre’s Facebook page. Kip McGrath Education Centres specialise in additional English and maths tuition for children aged six and above. There are three centres in York.

Miss Barringer won a gift voucher, certificate and biscuits for the school staff room thanks to a winning nomination from Helen Rawling, a parent at the school.

In her nomination Mrs Rawling said: “Miss Barringer has taken Osabaldwick from strength to strength in her time there, she is approachable and friendly whenever issues arise and has the children’s best interests at the heart of everything she does.

Miss Barringer is retiring this year and I wish her all the very best although she will be thoroughly missed.

She goes above and beyond, as do all the staff at Osbaldwick, who are all fabulous.”

Ruth Morris, centre director at Kip McGrath York East, which works with families who want to provide extra help for their children to catch up where they may have fallen behind or stretch those who are more able, presented the prizes to Miss Barringer.

“I am delighted to accept the award on behalf of all the talented teaching staff here at Osbaldwick,” said Miss Barringer. “It's lovely that our hard work is recognised.”

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As reported by The Press last year, Miss Barringer will step down at the end of the summer term.

She has been at the school for 17 years and says her retirement has been long planned, but not before she was sure she could leave the school with confidence it would continue to go from strength to strength.

Doncaster-born Miss Barringer always wanted to live in York and after leaving college in Lincoln and working in schools in Peterborough and Derbyshire, she moved to the city in 2001.

Miss Barringer has always enjoyed the challenge of creating sustainable improvement in challenging schools. For three years, from 2008, she added school improvement responsibilities to her role in York, with the additional income being a welcome contribution to the Osbaldwick school budget.

She achieved Local Leader in Education accreditation and has worked as a consultant across the country.

In 2013 Miss Barringer was asked by City of York Council to become executive head teacher and take over Derwent schools, bringing them into Osbaldwick Primary.

She says she has devoted her life to children: “I have 300 of them – I just send them home at the end of every day!”

Governors are currently working closely with Ebor Academy Trust to recruit a new head.