Head teacher retiring

David Johnson . . . retiring as head of Failsworth School

‘A fantastic job in a wonderful school’
FAILSWORTH School is approaching the end of an era, as the man who steered it to record exam results and its transformation into a sports college prepares to step down.

David Johnson will close the door on an “exciting journey”, which saw him at the helm for 19 years, when he leaves on December 18.

He takes with him remarkable memories of a crumbling split-site school replaced by a £28 million state-of-the art building, and low exam results rocketing to a record high.

He was appointed in 1991, when only 19 per cent of pupils gained five A-C grades, and leaves in a year when almost 70 per cent of students were awarded five A*-Cs, 45 per cent of which included English and maths.

Mr Johnson also recalls events at the school taking an ambitious turn in the hands of school governors, who wanted it to become a specialist sports college.

Together they tackled a tough target of raising £100,000 in sponsorship to help bring new sporting facilities to the community.

And with a lottery grant under its belt and six new tennis courts, it became known nationally as one of the premier sports colleges in the country, said Mr Johnson.

And its reputation led to an invitation for him to sit, as one of three heads, on the national Youth Sport Trust board.

“It has been a fantastic job in a wonderful school and I will miss it, but nothing lasts forever, and I had to plan to step down,” said Mr Johnson (62), who is married to Lucy, the head teacher of a Tameside primary school.

“I would like to thank the school governors for their tremendous support, and the Failsworth community, which I wish well for the future, it will always be a part of me.”

The couple have two children, Lucy, who is a solicitor in Manchester, and Nicholas, who is a senior marketing manager with the computer company Apple, in London.

Mr Johnson will still be involved in education, working with the National College for Leadership of Schools, training heads to run urban schools.

“I am passionate about improving life chances for children from urban areas, and although I will only be working part-time, it’s a wonderful opportunity to move on to something I enjoy doing,” he said.

l John Meagher, who is deputy head of Walkden High School, will take over as the new head of Failsworth School next year.