PARENTS, pupils and governors are planning a final farewell to their much-loved headteacher as he prepares to retire.

Geoff Mangan has been involved with Roding Valley High School, in Alderton Hill, Loughton, ever since it was first formed in 1989, when he joined them from Aveley School, in Thurrock, as Year 10 head .

He said: “It was a very exciting but challenging time. The school was difficult to set up and the buildings weren't ready, but the first thing that struck me was the quality of the staff in post. I learnt a heck of a lot in those first few years. Looking back I enjoyed every minute of it but at the time there were some very difficult times.”

After progressing through the ranks, first as head of lower school and then as assistant headteacher, Mr Mangan finally landed the top job in 2004.

“If my teachers when I was at school thought I was going to be a teacher there I'd have been shocked. To be a head I'd never have believed in a million years,” he said.

“I was brought up in a very small Durham mining village and to be head of a school like this in Loughton, in Essex, is something I'd have never in a million years imagined.”

After such a long period of time at one school, Mr Mangan has seen a lot of changes, and despite growing GCSE results at Roding Valley, he remains sceptical about modern day targets.

“The culture within the school is sometimes at odds with the culture in education at the moment, which is a massive drive to results, results and results,” he said.

“Sometimes I think people in education have lost their direction as to what education is trying to achieve. Often I think schools are trying to get results for the benefit of the school's position in the league table than for the children themselves and I've a real problem with that nationally.

“I think education should be about producing good people who can play a good part in society. If results is the only aim it takes that away.”

Although he officially retires at the end of the year, Mr Mangan said he would keep himself busy, and hoped to gain a consultancy role working with headteachers in the district.

He added: “I'll miss the people, and the pupils. I've met people on the staff who humble me they are such good people.

“It's a brilliant job, but you find a time when you think it's right for the school and right for your own health and sanity to step down. I'll be 59 in January and for a modern day head in secondary education that's probably enough.”

Pupils at the school were unanimous in their praise of Mr Mangan.

Natasha Wright said: “He's really friendly. He's not just a headteacher - you can talk to him about anything.”

Kate Bradley said: “He's someone that gets to know everyone. There's loads of people in our school but he seems to know people's names and what they do. He always seems really proud of us.”

James Petrou-Nunn said: “I think it's really sad he's retiring. He's been a great teacher for us over the years.”