A school support teacher has bid an emotional farewell to her pupils after retiring from her role.

Lynn Boulton, 61, officially retired from her position as a support teacher at Ross High School in Tranent at the end of last term.

Mrs Boulton worked in the school’s additional support needs (ASN) department for 12 years, assisting pupils with specific learning needs.

Mrs Boulton made the difficult decision to retire as she is preparing to move to Fife to be closer to her daughter, who is expecting a baby.

Mrs Boulton said: “It was a really tough decision to retire.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time at Ross High and I had considered commuting from Fife but it just wouldn’t work and so I decided this was for the best.”

Lynn, who is from Prestonpans and who still lives there with Keith, her husband of 42 years, is set to move to Thornton to be near her daughter in Kirkcaldy.

Mrs Boulton said: “My daughter is expecting her first child very soon and I want to be there to help look after the baby.

“I’m looking forward to retirement but it’s mixed emotions because I’m leaving my job and life here behind.”

Prior to working at Ross High, Mrs Boulton worked in Argos before taking on a support teacher role at Burgh Primary School in Musselburgh, where she worked for a year.

When her Ross High pupils were told she would be leaving, Lynn said that many were quite emotional at the thought of seeing her go.

She said: “You form a close bond with many of these kids when you work with them for so long, and a lot of them were very sad that I was leaving.

“I was perhaps more sad to be leaving them behind but many of them will be moving on from the school in the summer too, and the ones that stay will be in very good hands.

“I will also miss all the staff here, some of whom are now my close friends.

“Everyone at the school has been brilliant and I’ll miss them greatly.”

Jillian Binnie, deputy headteacher for ASN at Ross High, said: “Lynn has worked with a variety of pupils during her time here.

“The pupils in Tartan Class, where she has been for the last year or so, were all very sad to see her go and will miss her greatly.

“Lynn was the ‘Queen of Clean’ and loved baking, and the teachers who had her on their class teams would always appreciate her ability and willingness to get stuck in supporting young people to learn to cook and learn to clean.

“She also had the trust of so many young people who saw her as a mother figure of sorts; although, more recently, Lynn was quite happy to be seen as the grandmother figure of the team.

“She will be retiring to look after one of her own grandchildren after so many years of looking after other people’s, and everyone will miss her and wishes her well.”

Ross High headteacher Paul Reynolds thanked Lynn for her work at the school and wished her a happy retirement.