She's worked tirelessly for her school for 25 years.

But now, Belinda Ashton has decided to stand down from her role as business manager at Chapel Road School in Attleborough.

Karin Heap, headteacher, said Mrs Ashton always put the children first, was admired and respected by the whole school community and would be greatly missed.

Mrs Heap said: 'She has been my right-hand woman for 15 years and the school could not have overcome its many challenges and succeeded without her.'

Mrs Ashton started at the school in November 1991, as a secretary.

In a time before schools had delegated budgets, she had to learn quickly how to manage a large school budget alongside former headteacher Phil Thomas.

Mrs Ashton became a business manager in 2006 and she was involved in many of the school's initiatives, including achieving specialist school status in 2009, its designation as a teaching school in 2014 and supporting the school's leaders and governors in working towards the construction of a new school building for almost 10 years.

Work on the new school, to be based in Old Buckenham, has now started.

Mrs Ashton said she was looking forward to developing her website, which sells her handmade beads and jewellery, visiting her two grown children and supporting her husband in his work.