A TEACHING assistant who lost her battle against cancer has been immortalised at the school where she was loved.

Val Welsh was 55 when she died in late March.

A teaching assistant at Goddard Park Primary School for 11 years, she was also married to its headteacher, Mike Welsh.

Now a specially-commissioned sculpture of a rainbow fish by local artist Gordon Dickinson has been installed in the school's garden.

It symbolises Mrs Welsh's favourite story of a rainbow fish which gave away its scales to other fish so they would share beauty.

As the sculpture was unveiled by a group of his late wife's former pupils, Mr Welsh said: "Today we are here in memory of Val, who we all knew and loved.

"Recently, somebody said that we buried her three or four months ago.

"That is right physically, but we never buried her in our hearts.

"She lives in my heart and, I'm sure, lots of your hearts.

"Her favourite story was The Rainbow Fish. The Rain-bow Fish had lots of beautiful scales and made sure each of the other fish had one of his scales.

"A sense of giving is something we need to be joyous about."

Among those present at the unveiling were Mr and Mrs Welsh's daughters Zoe, a 24-year-old teacher, and Sally, 20, a finance officer.

The sculpture is located in what used to be known as the Quiet Garden, but will be known from now on as the Rainbow Garden.

Interviewed for an Evening Advertiser feature about teaching assistants, Mrs Welsh said: "Teaching children brings me so much pleasure.

"It may be a challenge, but it is great to watch the children progress over the year and reach the targets they have been working so hard for."

Mrs Welsh died at the Prospect Hospice after battling a rare form of cancer known as soft tissue sarcoma.

Shortly afterwards, her husband told the Evening Advertiser: "Val was a beautiful and loving wife who had time for everybody.

"She had a special place for children and loved working with them at the school."

Her funeral was held at Christ Church in Old Town.