The long-serving head teacher of Varndean School is to retire at the end of next month.
William Deighan wrote to parents today (Thursday 18 March) and said: “It is with great sadness that I announce my retirement as head teacher of our great school. I will be leaving on (Friday) 30 April.
“I have loved being your head teacher and feel incredibly honoured to have served you for over 12 years.
“We are in a strong place as a school. I believed early on that if we got the pastoral care right then everything else would follow.
“Our small school system has served us well and our four (now five) schools have become the pillars of our inclusive ethos.
“I leave behind a fantastic group of professionals and the most extraordinary young people you could ever hope to meet.
“I wish the school every continued success and take with me rich experiences that have shaped this phase of my life. I wish you all a fond farewell.”
The chair of governors Alex Marsh said: “We want to thank William for his exceptional commitment to Varndean School over the past 12 years and also give reassurance that with the sad news of his departure that we want the transition to feel seamless.
“We are pleased to advise that Gareth Hughes, one of our deputy head teachers, will be the acting head teacher from (Saturday) 1 May while we undertake the recruitment process for the permanent head teacher for Varndean School.”
