IT will truly be the end of an era when Simon Arbuthnott leaves the helm of the Chaddesley Corbett school he has been involved with since the age of four.

He moved to Winterfold House School in 1946 and after boarding school, reading history at Oxford University and a spell teaching in Brighton and Kenya, he returned to Winterfold to teach.

That was 33 years ago, and after sharing the role, has been sole headteacher for 22 years. His five children have also been brought up there.

He said: ''It has been a real privilege to work in such a lovely environment and to have been involved with a huge number of people.

''It is really lovely when they come back and you see how very well they have turned out - it's sometimes very surprising.''

When Mr Arbuthnott moved to Winterfold with his family it was a Roman Catholic boys' boarding pre-prep school.

He has seen and been instrumental in its present incarnation as a co-educational day school with a pre-prep and nursery which is geared around the working lives of parents.

Pupil numbers have jumped from 85 in 1992 to 300 today.

During his time at Winterfold he has taught virtually everything, but specialises now in history and design technology.

Variety has always been the school's philosophy, said Mr Arbuthnott.

A nine-hole golf course, fencing, archery and gardening are among the activities designed to find something which each pupil can excel at.

Among other things, he has overseen the creation of classrooms, a theatre, CDT and learning support unit.

But after so long - and worries about becoming an ''educational dinosaur'' - he is leaving at the end of term.

He will be succeeded by Bill Ibbetson-Price but will remain as a school governor.

Mr Arbuthnott, 57, is moving to Leominster with his wife Susie.

The couple have been refurbishing a house there for the past nine years.

His passion for building can be seen in the pavilions that are scattered around the impressive grounds and gardens of Winterfold.

This will now be translated into a business constructing garden buildings, such as gazebos.

He will also have more time to indulge his interests in cricket, golf, fishing and shooting and hopes to become a magistrate.