A SCHOOL community has paid a fond farewell to headteacher David Beeley.

A party was thrown for Mr Beeley, 59, during his final week as headteacher at The Ridge Junior School in Yate.

Pupils and children from neighbouring Broadway Infants School presented the teacher, who has been in education for 38 years, with gifts and sang songs they had learnt especially for the occasion.

Mr Beeley, who has been headteacher at The Ridge for eight years and was previously headteacher at Trinity Primary School in Acton Turville for seven years, said: "This is a very happy school with very good staff. There has been a lot of building work at the school since I have been here but it is really all about the staff and the children. They are the cement between the bricks that holds it all together."

Since taking over the headship, Mr Beeley has started a school gardening club and built the Bridge Garden complete with adventure playground and greenhouse.

He has also implemented the refurbishment of all classrooms including the installation of interactive whiteboards and new windows.

Most impressively, Mr Beeley has just seen the school achieve the best SAT results in its history, with children reaching standards well above the national average.

That is the way it should be," he said. "I am very pleased with the results and I have enjoyed changing the ethos of The Ridge."

Mr Beeley, from Thornbury, is looking forward to spending more time with his two new grandchildren during his retirement.

"I will miss the headship and I will miss teasing the children," he added.

"You don’t have to be telling them off all the time. Being a headteacher can be a lot of fun."