A WELL-KNOWN and popular head teacher is retiring after almost 40 years in the profession.

Dr Terry Fish, executive head of Twynham Learning, will officially leave his post at the end of August.

Now the search is on to find a suitable successor.

Twynham Learning consists of five schools - Twynham, The Grange, Twynham Primary, Stourfield Junior and Stourfield Infants - with Christchurch Junior set to join in January next year.

Since Dr Fish took the reins as head of Twynham School in Christchurch 17 years ago, it has consistently been judged as Outstanding and has become a Training School, Teaching School and Leading Edge School.

Dr Fish has been chair of the Dorset Association of Secondary Headteachers, a Consultant Leader with the National College of School Leadership and a National Leader of Education.

But now, at the age of 61, he's decided to take things easy and is looking forward to travelling with his wife, Lynne.

Trips to Italy, Spain, Cambodia and Vietnam have already been planned and Dr Fish also plans to spend more time running and in the gym.

He and his wife will also get the chance to spend more time with their grown-up children.

The current deputy head of Twynham School, Jy Taylor, will take over at the school and a successor to head the whole of Twynham Learning will be appointed later this year.

Dr Fish said: "I will miss being with young people every day. This has been a real joy and I will miss their energy and fun.

"It's a wonderful job and it is a great privilege to teach. It is a job which brings such a feeling of fulfilment.

"It is a joy to work with such hard working and talented people. The team here are so strong."

He said he won't miss the involvement of politics in teaching and added: "If our politicians listened to our teachers then our education system could be world class."

Despite his retirement, Dr Fish said he will be in school for GCSE and A level results as usual and will assist in the handover to a new executive head in the autumn term.