A beloved Ipswich teacher has retired from her 36-year stint at Chantry Academy.

Linda Carrino has been a geography teacher since she was 23-year-old when she was a fresh-faced youth straight out of the University of Hull.

Ipswich Star: Linda Carrino and her husband TonyLinda Carrino and her husband Tony (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

There she met her husband, Tony Carrino, who she has been with for 33 years and who used to work at the school before leaving to become an East Bergholt High School teacher. Mr Carrino retired last year.

On leaving she said: "I’ve survived life at Chantry with huge support from other staff, encouragement from a fantastic family and by trying to look for the positives - treating each day and each lesson as a new start.

"I wish you all great things for the future and wish you a very happy summer holiday."

"We all need to look after each other in this job, and with that in mind, many thanks to the ‘second-floor workroom Dream team ‘ who always have a smile, a joke to tell or a cup of tea ready and waiting in your moment of need," she added.

Ipswich Star: Linda Carrino has retired from Chantry Academy in Ipswich.Linda Carrino has retired from Chantry Academy in Ipswich. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

She also had lots of "lovely messages" from GCSE students and those she told she was leaving.

Mrs Carrino said she has seen great changes in her time there from seeing everything in classes done on paper to the increase of online tools.

She also looked back fondly on her trips to Walton-on-Naze and the French Alps and Isle of Arran.

Mrs Carrino said she is looking forward to going on holiday with her family to Italy, near Naples, and seeing more of her son and daughter who live in Nottingham and London.

Ipswich Star: Linda Carrino and her husband Tony hope to go to his family's home of Italy for a holidayLinda Carrino and her husband Tony hope to go to his family's home of Italy for a holiday (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND)

She also hopes to take up a musical instrument.

Chantry Academy said: "The whole Chantry Academy community would like to thank Mrs Carrino for the dedication and determination she showed towards the students she taught and nurtured over the years.

"She has had an hugely positive impact on thousands of childrens’ lives and deeply supported their understanding of the world around them. Mrs Carrino has been a valued colleague and team member and will be missed by all. We wish her a happy retirement and well-deserved rest."