Respected teachers retire from Down High School

Respected teachers retire from Down High School

5 July 2017

DOWN High School has bid farewell to three senior staff members.

School principal Maud Perry has paid tribute to Anne Burtney, Edwin Mitchell and David Lewis for their long service and dedication to the Downpatrick school. 

Thanking them for their “truly outstanding professionalism and dedication”, Mrs Perry said they had served thousands of pupils with distinction over a very long period of time. 

Mrs Burtney, who was head of Spanish and pastoral head of junior school, is retiring after 40 years in the classroom.

She has been credited with making learning enjoyable and helping students gain many successes including top marks in Northern Ireland, access to language courses at Oxbridge, lecturing in Spanish and fulfilling careers using languages.  

Staff have also paid tribute to her commitment to the pastoral care and well-being of pupils in her roles as head of year and head of junior school.

Mr Mitchell has also retired as head of physics and science in the school, which he joined as head of physics and 1990 before being promoted to head of science a few years later.

Described as a passionate, progressive and innovative educator, he was credited with making his classroom a vibrant venue, whether delivering a lesson to pupils, or tinkering with some apparatus to learn how he can better inspire and engage his classes. 

Mr David Lewis has also retired after “loyally” serving the school’s science and chemistry departments as a technician since 1979.