A HEADTEACHER will be saying goodbye to students this week after nearly 22 years at his school.

Clive Corbett will retire as headteacher at Pershore High School in August.

He joined the school as deputy head in 1996, taking the top job in 2002.

He said: "I never intended to stay this long but it's just the way it worked out.

"It's a lovely place. I couldn't have wished for a happier or friendlier place to spend so much time."

Mr Corbett graduated from Liverpool University and joined Haybridge High School, Hagley, as a history teacher in 1979 before moving to Nunnery Wood High School, Worcester in 1991.

He said: "It really has been a lovely 38 years, 20 of them at Pershore. I really am so lucky and blessed to have worked with a fantastic bunch of young people and staff."

He said he remembered a time at Nunnery Wood High when a pupil had daubed an insulting message about him on the bus shelter at County Hall.

He said: "The deputy head Bob Harkins put his arm around me and said, 'my son, you've arrived.'"

He added: "I think schools generally are in a better shape than in the 1980s when I started.

"Things were a little sloppy. There were teachers around who behaved in ways that would get them sacked now.

"Now, every school has got a determination to improve but all the political interference is there.

"The constant change. Someone called it a tsunami of education reform.

"My one plea would be that the government backs off and lets people get on with it a bit."

Since announcing his retirement, he has received notes from pupils, parents and former pupils to say thank you.

He said: "That's been lovely. I hope I've just made a little bit of difference to youngsters and their lives.

"If I have it will all have been worthwhile."

"Teaching is not about the paycheck although I've been well paid. I reckon I have worked with 10,000 pupils over my career. It's been fantastic to make that difference."

Mr Corbett now intends to spend more time with granddaughter Ella and will work part-time at a new multi-academy trust for Pershore High, Cherry Orchard Primary School, Pershore, Norton Juxta Kempsey Primary and Inkberrow Primary.

He is also working on a new book about Wolverhampton Wanderers who have scored hat-tricks.