Beloved teacher leaves Cayton Primary school after 30 years to start new life in Sweden

A schoolteacher from Cayton CP School is leaving after 30 years of teaching at the school.
Staff and pupils cheer and wish Mrs Hoggarth good luck. PIC: Richard PonterStaff and pupils cheer and wish Mrs Hoggarth good luck. PIC: Richard Ponter
Staff and pupils cheer and wish Mrs Hoggarth good luck. PIC: Richard Ponter

Liz Hoggarth moved to Scarborough to study teaching at the former North Riding College.

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After training she got a job at Cayton Primary and never left.

“Looking out over the school field towards the sea – why would I want to go anywhere else when I have that?”

Teaching was a vocation for Liz, and a career she decided on at a young age.

“I think I just always wanted to be [a teacher],” she said, “I used to teach my next door neighbour when I was little.

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“I had an excellent time at infant school and wanted to pay back the community, even though it’s not the same community.”

Her interest in all subjects led her to choose primary rather than secondary education.

She is the maths lead at Cayton, although admits history is probably her favourite subject, and has been a governor for 19 years.

“The thing to make it enjoyable to the children is to be as excited as they are,” she explained. “Every day is different.

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“When a child looks at you and says I get it, it’s an amazing feeling. Why would anyone want to do anything else?”

Over the past 30 years Liz has seen lots of changes in the profession, at the beginning the National Curriculum was still being established and she speaks highly of the current topic-based strategy as opposed to subject-led teaching.

As well as classroom teaching, she also has fond memories of extracurricular activities – from camping on the school field to school plays and helping with Cayton in Bloom.

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She is leaving the school to move to Sweden with her husband and daughter, something they have always wanted to do, and will live in the countryside outside Gothenburg.

To begin she will return to the classroom as a student to learn Swedish but hopes to help with English lessons at a local school if possible.

Liz added: “The feeling when you walk into our school is that it’s a really nice atmosphere.

“I have had a fabulous time and I shall really miss everyone.”

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