LYME Regis Woodroffe School head Kerrigan Redman is retiring at the end of next year when he will have been at the helm of the comprehensive for a decade.

Mr Redman, who came to Lyme from Bridlington with 10 years' experience as a head under his belt, makes the announcement in the latest parents' bulletin.

"I will not be totally severing my links with education," he writes. "I have recently trained to be as Ofsted inspector, and I plan to be a member of inspection teams for a number of years.

"Additionally, I hope to put my accumulated experience to other uses as opportunities arise. Above all, I intend to find time for my wife Pam and me to travel during the year. We can actually look forward to relaxing in and around Lyme Regis this summer."

The governors have already started the process of finding a replacement, the intention being to make an announcement at the end of the term to take effect on September 1 2003.

This will enable the new head to be involved in essential planning which takes place in the spring term before the start of the academic year.