A MUCH-LOVED school nurse is retiring after more than two decades caring for the children of Northwich and Winsford.

Carol Barton, 60, began nursing at the tender age of 16 and has spent the past 22 years as a school nurse in high schools and primary schools all over Vale Royal.

The grandmother-of-three, from Ullswater Avenue, in Winsford, said she has met thousands of children and families over the years.

“I’m going to miss the camaraderie with all the families and the children,” she said.

“One of the best rewards about the job is knowing that you have made a difference in the life of a child and their family.”

Carol started off as a Cadet nurse at Crewe Memorial Hospital and then went on to do her training in Chester.

Once she qualified she worked at the Grange Hospital in Weaverham before it was knocked down.

Her first role as a school nurse was at the Verdin High School in Winsford.

She said: “School nursing has changed massively over the years. When I was in my first post there used to be nit nurses.

“I wasn’t one of them, but they did have them then. It was a very pastoral role as well as just being about health.”

More recently Carol has been the school nurse at Weaverham High School as well as at various primary schools including Willow Wood, Darnhall, Sandiway and Cuddington.

One of her latest tasks was to oversee the mass immunisation programme for MMR in December.

She added: “I have been involved in quite a few immunisation campaigns over the years. I remember my first one was for measles and rubella in 1994.”

As well as dedicating her life to nursing the mother-of-two and her husband Alan have also fostered around 40 children over the years.

Her colleagues say she will be sorely missed.

Sally Smith said: “She has been a really outstanding nurse and she will be very sadly missed here.”

You can leave your messages for Carol at northwichguardian.co.uk.