09
Jul
Harrogate teacher retires after 43 years at local prep school
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A local primary school has bid a fond farewell to one of its longest-standing teachers.
Gillian Furniss joined Belmont Grosvenor School, an independent prep school in Birstwith, in 1982 — 43 years ago. At the time, the school was an all boys’ boarding and day prep school named Grosvenor House.
But more than four decades – and many school lunches – later, Ms Furniss has finally decided to retire.
To mark the occasion, current pupils and staff, as well as former students and parents, lined the school entrance and applauded when Ms Furniss arrived there this morning (July 9).
She has cycled the six-mile journey to work every day for the past decade, and her final day was no different.
Ms Furniss said:
Thank you to everybody I have met over the years for making my teaching career so special – pupils, parents and staff. I have made so many friends and have so many wonderful memories. I always wanted to be a teacher, and I am so happy I have been able to be one for so many years.
Gillian Furniss arrives on her final day at the school.
Originally from Bradford, Ms Furniss completed her teacher training and took up her first role in education in Dorset back in 1979.
Three years later, Ms Furniss and her husband Lee, whom she met at teacher training college, relocated to Yorkshire and began her 43-year stint in Birstwith.
Ms Furniss added:
I am incredibly proud that during my long teaching career I have never met a past pupil who has not acknowledged me and come up to chat with me. I remember them all and I think that is a very lovely thing.
Ms Furniss with her current year 6 class.
One-minute maths test
When she started at Grosvenor House, which was based at Swarcliffe Hall in Birstwith where Belmont Grosvenor School is located now, Ms Furniss worked in the pre-prep department teaching the youngest pupils.
She enjoyed school trips to the Norfolk Broads, France and Holland, and even climbing Scafell Pike whilst pregnant with her daughter, Holly.
Another highlight for Ms Furniss was a visit from Olympic rower and former Belmont Grosvenor School pupil, Andy Triggs-Hodge, who took home a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Ms Furniss and Olympian Andy Triggs-Hodge.
The school today said her “big art attacks were legendary” in the 1990s, encouraging pupils to create images in the playground using whatever they could find – including sports equipment and kit.
Grosvenor House School merged with Belmont Birklands to form Belmont Grosvenor School in 2000, when Ms Furniss became head of girls’ sports and head of art.
Ms Furniss has set up a knitting club at the school in recent years, where pupils have learned to knit and crochet, as well as craft groups.
She has also teamed up with years five and six pupils each summer to create a giant quilt, which is then entered in an international quilting festival. The school's quilters have been victorious numerous times.
On top of sports and art, Ms Furniss is also a maths teacher. Her one-minute maths test became a daily fixture amongst pupils.
Ms Furniss was diagnosed with cancer in 2003, but Belmont Grosvenor School said she only took time off work for radiotherapy appointments.
“When she lost all her hair from chemotherapy, she was so worried that the change would scare the children she wore a different bandana each day to make it fun and even painted a Christmas tree on her head at Christmas”, the school added.
Charlie Brooksbank, chair of Belmont Grosvenor School’s board of governors, today said:
Mrs Furniss has been so much more than a teacher - she has been a guiding light, an inspiration, and a constant presence in a changing world. Her passion for learning, whether through the precision of maths, the joy of art, or the freedom of sport has lit sparks in countless young minds.
Her pride in their lives, her joy at their successes, and her commitment to helping them flourish, both within and beyond the classroom, have left a lasting mark. Mrs Furniss has shaped futures and touched lives in ways that numbers simply cannot measure.
It is no exaggeration to say that her legacy at Belmont Grosvenor is immeasurable. Her resilience, kindness, sense of fun, and fierce belief in every child’s worth are woven into the very fabric of the school.
Ms Furniss is looking forward to spending more time with her family and on her electric bike during retirement.
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