"EVERY child mattered. That was his ethos."

So says the new head teacher of Sycamore Lane Primary, School, Joanne Hewson, of her predecessor, Bob Clevery Mr Cleverly took over a Great Sankey school at a difficult time. The previous head teacher, Michael Sadler, had died.

But over seven years Bob went on to become a much-loved headteacher at the school.

The 56-year-old, from Runcorn, has just retired and received a fond farewell from staff."He is very friendly and has an open personality. He is a real people person. He cared very much about the children," adds Joanne, aged 37, from Walton.

Mr Cleverly did a lot of work to improve the school grounds in his time at Sycamore Lane through a grant project called Supergrounds'.

He went on a lot of residential trips with the children (an estimated 139 days), and every year volunteered himself as the target for wet sponges at the summer fair.

Staff say he managed a fine balance with the children; they respected him but also felt they could have a joke with him. They say he also understood the personal and professional pressures the staff themselves could be under.

Tracey Marshall, from The Friends of Sycamore Lane, said: "He was fantastic and he supported us - he attended all the functions and he was very approachable.

He took the school from strength to strength."

Staff held a farewell buffet for Mr Cleverly on his final Friday.

Mr Cleverly is now semi- retired but will continue to work in the education sector in some way.

sbailey@guardiangrp.co.uk