Message from Mr Riding July 2018

On the occasion of his retirement, Mr Riding would like to send the following message to everyone:

“After 12 wonderful years at All Hallows, I would just like to thank every member of this unique and special community for all your help and support over that time. When I took up this post I was made very aware of the legacy I was inheriting. The first All Hallows Headteacher, Mr Dunstan Melling, had written to me on appointment welcoming me to his school. His pride was evident even in a letter and it was so sad that the first public event I attended in my new role in 2006 was his funeral service. One of his legacies is the principles he laid down when opening this school in 1975 and I have always been conscious of my responsibility in maintaining those principles.

The second All Hallows Headteacher, Mr Flynn, who led this school from 1984 until his retirement in 2006 has been a constant source of help and support to me personally as well as to this community and his wisdom and friendship have been much appreciated.

My Governors, led by the wonderful Mike Perry have been so supportive and I wish all of them every success and happiness in the future. The new Chair of Governors Mr McMahon will lead the school superbly into its next phase and I wish him well.

Staff past and present, teaching and non-teaching have always had the best interests of the pupils at heart. As teachers we make mistakes like everyone else, but the principles have remained strong. Former staff coming back to visit over the last few weeks has demonstrated the bond they still feel with All Hallows. Thank you to all my colleagues over the last 12 years and every good wish for the future. My personal special thanks to my Senior Leadership team colleagues over the years – Mr Lancaster, Mrs Dunn, Mr Hughes, Mr Sullivan, Mr McMullen, Mrs Cooper, Mr Thomas, Mrs Wallbanks and Mrs Washington – colleagues and special friends to me.

To my friends at St Teresa’s, at Mary Magdalen’s, St Oswald’s and Our Lady & St Gerard’s I send my best wishes for the future and my thanks for all your help and support over the years. Our Primary Schools are also very special places where care for the individual child has always been at the heart of their work. We at All Hallows have benefited greatly from their work and I thank everyone concerned.

To our parents I send my best wishes and thanks for all your support. You will, I am sure, appreciate that it would be impossible to agree at all times on our rules and strategies, but I have always appreciated your support, honesty and ultimate faith in entrusting your sons and daughters to us.

So to our fantastic pupils, past and present – it is a huge responsibility to be a teacher and to be trusted to ‘shape’ young lives and I hope that when YOU look back on your time here it will be with fondness and a real sense that we genuinely looked out for you and cared for you. It has been my absolute pleasure and privilege to have worked alongside you. . . yes, even those who got to know my office very well!!!! Thank you so much for being yourselves and for allowing me to share your All Hallows experience.

The last few weeks have been surreal. The kindness of people has been very humbling for me personally and for my family. Thank you so much for the extraordinary letters, cards, gifts and good wishes. I could not possibly do justice to how moved I have been by them all.
I will now move to retirement but I really would like to remain as part of this special place that is All Hallows. I wish my successor Mr Horrocks every happiness as he begins what I know will be a very special part of his career.

Thank you, All Hallows and I am sure that you will continue, “Growing together in the Spirit of Christ’s Love.”