A recently retired Riddlesden teacher has taken over as president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers

Alison Sherratt taught at Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School until the end of last term.

She had been at the school since 1986, and worked in the nursery from its opening in 1993.

Mrs Sherratt (right) was also a senior teacher in the school’s early years’ department for a number of years.

She said schools generally had become too regimented at the expense of enjoying learning.

“School days are too broken up into regimented tasks, with the days dictated by a strict timetable – maths at 9.30am, reading at 10am, spelling at 10.30am – with little room for changes to reflect how children learn and what’s best for specific children,” she added.

“And far too much of what is taught is based on what children are going to be tested on, which leaves little time to pick up children’s questions about other issues or explore topics of interest.”