Retiring head looks back with fondness on his time at high school

My plan was to stay three or four years, gain experience and then apply elsewhere for other promoted posts, but 25 years later I am still here and have absolutely no regrets that my original plan fell by the wayside.

In those 25 years I have met some wonderful parents and taught or been associated with many, many marvellous children.

It is always a source of great professional and personal satisfaction to meet ex-students at parents’ evenings or other events, whose own children are happily working and progressing in school.

I have been fortunate enough to have had a variety of roles at BBEC (as it became in 2002).

I will always remember my time as head of department for geography, and especially the GCSE and A-level field trips the department ran to some of the most beautiful places in the UK, including Snowdonia, The Lake District, the Isle of Arran and of course the Yorkshire Dales.

In later years I was assistant head, deputy head and for the last six years headteacher.

All roles have brought different opportunities, challenges and experiences. I am really lucky to have been working in these various posts.

I am retiring for a variety of reasons. The school is in good health. Examination results, “ethos”, the quality of teaching and learning, student behaviour and attitudes are better than ever.

I am pleased to pass the baton to Ian Dutton, whom I have known for a long time, and know he will do a brilliant job.

The college does need a headteacher who can commit the next five or six years leading the college in the new educational setting that is evolving.

This includes working with new types of schools (free schools and academies), designing curriculum changes and – whisper it quietly – absorbing the impact of changing Ofsted criteria!

The final reason I am going is that I have always thought I am a good teacher. In fact I know I am a good teacher and always, rather arrogantly I think now, thought I was better than most.

This has changed over the last six years, when I now leave the classrooms of most of my colleagues thinking ‘What a brilliant lesson’ or ‘I couldn’t do that’ or ‘How do they do it?’

So whilst I am a good teacher I can see quite clearly how much better most of my colleagues are! A sobering but extremely satisfying thought.

I would like to finish by thanking all the students, staff and parents I have worked with but especially Dave Johnson with whom I have worked with for all of those 25 years, who is the deputy head and who is retiring also.

Thank you too to Geoff Alvy, chair of governors, and Ifran Daji, vice chair of governors, who have always provided support and friendship.

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work with them all.