Schoolteacher Doreen Thurlow spoke of how she would miss her pupils as she retires after 35 years in the profession.

The Horsford resident will spend her last day at Mile Cross Primary School on Wednesday and will be packing away her textbooks to spend more time with her grandchildren Alfie, two, and Tilly, nine months, and pursuing her hobbies, which include oil painting.

She added: 'I can honestly say I would do it all again, I have loved my career so much.

'Working with the children has just been so rewarding.'

However, she said she was concerned about the increasing amount of pressure being placed on teachers and the amount of testing taking place.

She added: 'It became more and more pressurised with testing and targeting and that is the sad part for me.

'There is the constant testing and they keep moving the goalposts for targets and you are not aware of what targets you are aiming for.'

But she added: 'I will really miss the children and my colleagues. It is a very big school, but it is like one big family.'

She spent the first 10 years of her career teaching at a number of schools in the Norwich area, including Bignold Primary School and Horsford Junior School, before moving to the then Norman First School, which later became Mile Cross Primary School.

The 60-year-old grandmother, who lives at Green Park, said her fondest memories of her time at the school were of the trips she took with the children.

She recalled visiting Holt Hall and the Wells Study Centre on residential trips with some of the school's 450 pupils.

She lives with her husband Michael, 59, an engineer, and has two children.

Yesterday she was presented with flowers, cards and gifts by the children to thank her for her efforts over the years.