A FORMER chef who brought her baking skills to her new job when she became a teaching assistant is this month’s Teacher of the Month.

Julie Stokes is retiring at the end of term and will be remembered by pupils and parents for making sure that no child at Thelwall Community Infant School felt left out or alone.

She was nominated for the award by parents Pauline and Mike Welsby, who said she has been a good friend to their sons, Thomas and Joe.

Pauline said: “I have never met a TA so enthusiastic and full of energy. She clearly loves the children and will go to great lengths to ensure they enjoy coming to school and are happy whilst there.”

She said Julie always volunteers herself for the ‘throw water on the teacher’ game at the school fair, tells the pupils funny stories about her dog, Skye, and makes sure every child has a friend.

Julie is a qualified chef who worked at Statham Lodge Hotel before helping out in the school kitchen.

She enjoyed it so much that she stayed on for 15 years and worked her way up to a job as a teaching assistant.

She said: “I was always told when I was a chef that I would make a good teacher – I’m just me.

“It’s the satisfaction of working with children and I don’t like seeing anybody unhappy, it’s a long day if you’re on your own. I just don’t like seeing anybody feeling alone.

“I try to be approachable and friendly – I’m a teaching assistant but I am also a friend because I think that’s what we all need at school.”

The 55-year-old was famous for making fresh ginger biscuits and Chelsea buns and when they were fresh out of the oven, children and even parents would queue up to buy them.

Pupils love hearing stories about her rescue border collie, Skye, who Julie would bring to the school gates to say hello to the children.

In a leaving book, pupils wrote that they love Julie because she helps them learn new things, like skipping or cooking, and because she plays ‘funky’ music during the lunch break.

The mum-of-two said the school is a great place to work because everybody is so loyal and after her daughter was diagnosed with Leukaemia, the staff and children helped her to cope.

After her husband, Graham, recently retired from his job as a design engineer at Daresbury Laboratory, Julie is looking forward to spending more time with her family and going on holiday in their caravan.

She is also excited about becoming a grandmother for the first time in December when her son’s wife is due to give birth to a baby girl.

Julie said: “I’m going to miss the school and laughing with the children and the funny things they tell me.

“You just never know what’s going to happen, every day is different and it’s a fab school to work at, everyone’s so loyal.

“I will remember every single one of these children.”