TRIBUTES were last night paid to a school headteacher who colleagues said had made a “huge impact” on her pupils’ lives.

Gill Carey, head of Northern House School in Summertown, Oxford, died aged 49, after a long battle with cancer.

Staff and pupils at the school in South Parade have been left devastated by the death of the popular teacher, who worked at the school for more than 20 years.

Mrs Carey scooped Primary Headteacher of the Year for the South of England earlier this year, and was due to take part in the national final next month.

Beccy Carver, deputy headteacher, said: “This has had a huge impact on all the staff and pupils at the school.

“We will hold a memorial service for Gill later this term, when people have come to terms with the shock of her death. Gill kept coming into school all the way through her illness – she was extremely dedicated.”

Mrs Carey, who was married with two teenage children, worked as a teacher at the school before being made deputy headteacher and, two years ago, head.

There are 64 pupils aged five to 11 at the special school for children with severe and complex behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

In December, the special school was rated outstanding for a second time, by inspectors from the education watchdog Ofsted.

At the time, Mrs Carey, who lived in Abingdon, said: “The commitment and dedication of everyone involved in our community enables our pupils to enjoy education, thrive and achieve.”

Mrs Carver explained the dedication shown by Mrs Carey – even while she was fighting the illness.

She said: “She had been battling cancer for a number of years. It went into remission and then came back. She became very ill this summer and died just before the end of the summer holidays.”

The school is the only one of its kind in the county catering for primary school-aged children and, because of their behavioural problems, many pupils arrive with low levels of achievement.

Around 40 per cent of its pupils go back into some form of mainstream education. The school was built in 1824 as a private home, before becoming a church training college for teachers.

It was bought by the city council in 1931, to use as a school for children with behavioural difficulties.

Jean Fooks, Liberal Democrat city councillor for Summertown, said: “I knew Mrs Carey was very ill and soldiering on amazingly bravely.

“She was an excellent headteacher and will be sadly missed.

“The school was at the forefront of innovative outreach work to help children with special needs from mainstream schools, and everyone in the education world will be saddened to hear of Mrs Carey’s death.”

Mrs Carey, who died on August 31, leaves husband Joe and two children, Katie and William.

affrench@oxfordmail.co.uk