After 25 years as a head, it finally arrived last week: the last day in school. The last assembly, the last lunch duty and the last stroll around the playground at the end of the day.

There are numerous photos, of course, pressies, tears and a few jokes; and then it’s all over. The party was a a good one, and the good wishes and kind words were wonderful, but at the end of the day I am on my own, facing life after 37 years going to school...

So what will I miss? And what won’t I?

Without doubt it is the children I will miss the most. They were the reason I entered the profession in 1979 and nothing has happened to change that. I can, of course, remember, when I have time, the countless success stories. How we have given them aspirations to succeed, and the fact they have done so.

What I will really miss is their smiles and eternal optimism, their quirky sense of humour, their trust in us as teachers, and how much they value being a part of a successful school. I will also miss their loyalty, their honesty and how trustworthy they can be when there is mutual respect. Admirable traits that our government politicians would do worse than to emulate.

I will also miss the countless teachers whom I have worked with: teachers who have made me look good over that time. My present team are a little poorer financially, having contributed to my leaving present, but they have never been poor in their enthusiasm and enjoyment of this job. It is a constant irritation I have that teachers receive such a negative press. The reality is that the vast majority are hardworking and loyal and trustworthy. They have an infectious love of the job and work tirelessly to ensure that children achieve as well as enjoy school.

I will also miss the community work that a good school does; the work with parents, governors and local residents. Schools can and do play an integral part in shaping and improving their community.

I will miss the mental stimulation, and the opportunity to think outside of the box. I will miss the collegiate element which is part of the education community, and the fact that you can say you are making a difference.

‘The lack of trust shown by government’

I am not going to miss that “Sunday evening feeling”, or the midnight phone calls, or the local press phoning ( “off the record”, of course). I’m also not going to miss the total lack of trust the government gives to us. Over those 25 years as a head there has been a continual, almost relentless, drive by the government to impose its thoughts or regulations on us. Why has there been no dialogue, no debate, no true praise of what we do well, just a continuous failure to understand how the education system works?

The heavy-handed approach of Ofsted truly reflects this attitude, leading us all to have no trust at all in the hierarchy and structures above our heads.

I won’t, of course, miss writing the governors’ report, or the school improvement plan or, in fact, any of the thousands of pieces of paper we complete that are considered essential but actually do nothing to improve the education of the individual child.

I won’t miss people telling me that I work six hours a day, or that I have a long summer holiday, or that I have the best pension in the world, or those who treat us as glorified “babysitters”. (And I certainly won’t miss those visitors to school whose sole aim is to put “friend of the local school” on their CV. I do have a certain MP in mind.)

As the inevitable day has arrived, I have to prepare myself for working in other areas of the education sector. So the school puppets are safe for that first assembly in September and instead I will be supporting the newly qualified teachers and headteachers in my authority.

My intention is to ensure that they get better support than at present, so that each and every one of them can enjoy the long, stimulating and joyful career I have had. Roll on September...

Colin Harris was headteacher of Warren Park Primary School in Havant, Hampshire 

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