A DECADE of "relentless determination" fighting for York's smallest secondary school is about to come to an end for its head teacher.

Tony Gavin, head teacher at Burnholme Community College, who is off to pastures new at the end of this term, has spoken to The Press about his ten years at the school.

Mr Gavin took the post of deputy head under the leadership of the former head teacher, Liz Watson, in 1998, becoming acting head and then head teacher when she moved on.

Looking back over his time at the school, Mr Gavin said: "It's been a rollercoaster ride, because there have been huge highs and there have been challenges.

"But this is a fantastic school and it's been a huge privilege to lead what is a mini-community and make a difference to so many individual children, raising aspirations of individuals in this community, because many have gone on to be the first in their families to enter higher education."

Mr Gavin leaves at a time when the 427-pupil school is celebrating its best-ever results gaining the best contextual value added score of any state secondary in the city - a measure which looks at the progress children make between entering and leaving secondary school.

The school also broke through the 50 per cent barrier of five A*s - C at GCSE this year - a percentage that was down in the 20s not so long ago.

He said: "Two or three years ago results were disappointing and we have learned from that and looked at how we teach children, with a school of around 500 children you can raise aspirations and get the magic five A*s - C at GCSE while also maintaining our excellent reputation for pastoral care."

Mr Gavin also pointed to the school's success as a business and enterprise college in forging vocational links throughout York and North Yorkshire. Mr Gavin is moving on to Laurence Jackson School, a 1,500-pupil specialist sports college at Guisborough. Burnholme's assistant head teacher, Simon Gumn, will become acting head teacher for two terms while a major recruitment drive is in process for September 2008.

The Press reported in September that Huntington School and Burnholme Community College are discussing plans to form a "federation" which could see both schools sharing one executive head teacher.

Burnholme, with 427 pupils on roll, is now the city's smallest secondary school. Huntington School with 1,537 is York's largest secondary school.

City of York Council has stressed discussions are still at an early stage and full consultation will be carried out with parents, governors, teachers and pupils.

Mr Gavin said Burnholme will remain open and continue to thrive as a self-contained and viable unit.