WARM tributes have been paid to a "remarkable" former Bradford headmistress who has died aged 104.

Marion Williams, originally of Tong, worked as a headmistress in the city for 30 years at two separate schools.

She was in charge at Swain House Infants' School from 1951 until she retired in 1971. She was also head of St Michael's School, City Road for 11 years from 1940.

Under her leadership, Swain House became the largest infants' school in Bradford.

In 1965, the junior and infants' departments were visited by the Central Advisory Council for Education (England), otherwise known as the Plowden Committee.

The group reported on teaching at Swain House, where innovative practices and high pupil achievement had received widespread plaudits.

Mrs Williams was a pupil at Carlton Girls’ High School, Bradford, where she gained a scholarship from St John's School. She then trained to become a teacher at Beckett Park College, Leeds.

After teaching in Bradford for four years she moved to China with her husband Harold Bradfield Williams, who was a local Independent Minister, to work as a missionary. Following his death after an illness in 1937 she returned to the city and remained a widow for 77 years.

After she retired from teaching, Mrs Williams settled in the Pontefract area. She died on August 30.

John Jackson, of Burley-in-Wharfedale, a former Swain House School pupil between 1959 and 1961, said: "Mrs Williams was a truly remarkable and very lovely lady, and she will be sadly missed by those of us who had the good fortune to know her.

"She was very highly regarded in both the teaching profession and as a friend to many hundreds of people.

"Of course, she will be remembered by many thousands more who, as small children, were privileged to come under her care as their wonderful headmistress.

"Her memory was acute, and she had the ability to recall contemporaries of mine at Swain House School, many of whom I had long forgotten."

Diane Rowbotham, who has been head teacher of the renamed Swain House Primary School, Radcliffe Avenue, since 2002, also paid tribute to Mrs Williams, recalling a visit she paid to the school in October 2008 aged 98.

She said: "It was lovely to meet Mrs Williams when she came to visit. It was really special.

"Just to have her here was amazing.

"It's a sad loss and she was lovely with the children. She sang a song to a group of children in the corridor when she came here and they sang back to her.

"It was a different building used by the school when she was headmistress."

Her funeral will be held at St Mary's Church, Badsworth, Pontefract, this Thursday at 1.30pm. This will be followed by a cremation service at Barnsley.