FIRST PERSON: Head Wyll Willis waves goodbye to Wallingford School

It was a brilliant morning, especially as so many parents turned up to support their children on such a stressful, yet happy, day. I am about to hand over my school keys and walk across the car park as Headteacher for the last time so that Mr Marston can come in and begin his preparations for the start of the new year. Thereafter I will enjoy my first term time holidays for 35 years and spend my afternoons in local parks with a 2-litre bottle of Diamond White (other cheap ciders are available) and shout abuse at passing teenagers.

Before I left, I wanted to say thank you. I have had a wonderful time here but over the last few weeks in particular people have been very kind. I appreciate some of the generous things people have said and kept everything written to me. I have had a better send-off than I probably deserve.

The things I am most grateful for are those that will ensure the school thrives.

I have had a great deal of support from the community, parents, staff and the students. This has enabled us to build a school that reflects our little part of the world; friendly, happy, polite and fiercely independent. Things were in a poor state in 2006. I have worked alongside a team that has transformed a school that was performing badly; Wallingford was first choice for too few people in the catchment area, financially broken and culturally at odds with what was around it. Now it is established as a very strong and happy school indeed. Our results for the last 7 years or so have seen as at or near the top of the county in the things that matter, we are struggling for money but doing far better than most, we are over-subscribed by a huge number with a waiting list in every year group and the school is popular in the community and admired within education circles.

This was achieved by everyone concerned. Each time someone says something positive about the school in the community it becomes stronger. Every parent who ensures their child plays a full part in something the children from other families benefit. Supporting the school when we refused to enter students for courses to suit league tables or OFSTED ensures our students can find the things they love.

In fact, not caring about Government initiatives or current fads in education enables us to focus on what matters and we would quickly lose confidence if there was a trickle of complaints. I have always been proud that we have kept our ‘outliers’ here rather than get rid of them to make the data look better, which we are advised to do. I am grateful to have served a community that wanted inclusion more than grade awarded by bureaucrats following the latest dictat from a transitory Secretary of State making a name for themselves. You not only deserve a great school you make it possible.

I have enjoyed some remarkable things. I received an award from the Town Council at a dinner, was commended at a ceremony in Oxford by the Lord Lieutenant, enjoyed many pleasant formal events at the Merchant Taylors’ Company, had tea at a Buckingham Palace garden party, spoke at an event across a platform with the current Prime Minister (I won) and sat opposite another PM for 45 minutes in a meeting in his House of Commons chambers ( I lost). More importantly I have greeted hundreds of children in the morning as they arrived for school, shared their grief when some have suffered terrible loss and their joy when they have surprised themselves at their achievements. We have helped many SEND students gain access to a world they might otherwise be at odds with and seen many with academic gifts through the doors of the top universities in the land. Children who might otherwise end up lost to society have used ReFlex to find a way to function beyond school. I have laughed a lot, but cried often too when the world has been cruel to someone too young to deserve it. Cried again when we found a way to lift them back up to where they belong. This is the best job in the world but it has real challenges to go alongside the highs.

In the years to come the last thing I want to hear is that things were better in my day. I care about the people here and the school too much to want them to do anything other than thrive. Mr Marston is a very good man who believes in the things that set us apart from other schools. He is much better at a lot of things that matter than I am and has done a brilliant job in his current post. The staff here are wonderful, talented and very hardworking people who care. The students are terrific; great fun but they care about their education and allow each other the space to be who they want. The parents bring up their children well, with the right balance between supporting them and challenging them to be the best they can. The wider community of Wallingford has enabled a brilliant school to develop and goes to the trouble to celebrate it. Congratulations to all of you for what you have made possible here and good luck in your efforts to move things from strength to strength.