12 months to go - HT retiring!

[MN2025]

Anyone else in teaching and starting their 12 month countdown to retirement?

I began teaching in 1986 and took up my first Headteacher appointment in 2007 before being asked by the CEO of the academy trust to lead a turnaround programme of a failing school - I took up that role in September 2024 and committed two years before retiring in August 2026. I will have done 40 years in education by that point so feel that it is time to go!

I will be 61 (approaching 62) - my plan is to travel for the first 6 months - go on a cruise - and then will probably continue with our shared interest in property development - we have brought and renovated dilapidated properties over the years and sold on…. As well as building a rental portfolio. We enjoy doing it and keeping active and healthy!!

For now though, the academic year comes to close tomorrow and on Sunday will be jetting out to Cyprus for two weeks and back in time for A-Level results day on the 14th August!!

I’m 55 with 30 years in secondary and I’m out🎉

My understanding is there’s no point going beyond 60 as you lose final salary.

55 and about to enter year 33 of teaching. Have done my shift and am aiming for another two years tops. I love it but am fed up with demanding/unreasonable parents (I’m in a part pastoral role) and entitled kids.

I remember reading about you going to a new school to hopefully turn it around.

Im 56 (57 at the beginning of Feb) and I’ve just retired after 29 years in primary.

Ive got a self employed role as an online trainer which I can do as little or as much as I want to - I only get paid for what I do. If I do 15-18 hours a week I’ll be on roughly what im
on now.

I decided last September that I’d finally had enough. I’m so looking forward to the future.

Be prepared for some of the year to be really slow and some of it will flash by.

I had a penultimate and last set of exams, reports, sports day, open morning, parents evening on my countdown planner. I also made sure that any plans for Sept following year included the person taking over. In the summer term it’s all about moving on, and some of the staff will be more focused on the new HT.

I had a short break organised for the first INSET and a week in the med for the last week of September. Then went off to more exotic climes in January & February.

I finished July 2024 and have enjoyed my first year out.