Primary school head teacher to retire (From York Press)

David Houghton to retire as head of St Aelred’s RC Primary School

9:29am Friday 1st June 2012 in News By Haydn Lewis, haydn.lewis@thepress.co.uk

THE head teacher at a York Roman Catholic primary school is stepping down next Easter after more than 20 years at the school.

David Houghton, of St Aelred’s RC Primary in Tang Hall, has been at the school since 1989 and started out as deputy head before being appointed head teacher in 1998, taking over from Tony Donahy.

Mr Houghton, who lives in the parish, said it was time to retire and he had chosen to make his announcement to parents and pupils now so that the school’s governors had ample time to find his replacement.

He said: “Teaching is the best job ever and the thing that makes it so great is the children you get to know. It’s a tough job, but a great job because it involves looking after children.

“As far as what I plan to do in my retirement is concerned – it’s such a busy job you don’t have time to think of that sort of thing. But if they want me to come back to school from time to time for swimming coaching I think I’d like that.”

Mr Houghton has got to know thousands of children in his time at the school and although he says he will miss it, he says it’s time to move on.

He said: “I’m past 60 now and therefore it’s time for someone else to do it. Leaving comes to everyone and I made my decision now for a reason.

“For every school it’s difficult to find a new head teacher, but in Catholic schools it seems even harder because its a stipulation of the job that you have got to be a practising Catholic.”

The school’s governors have now started the process of finding a new head to replace Mr Houghton when he steps down next year.