A deputy headteacher is preparing to say goodbye to a school after 26 years.

Brian Hills will retire from Fairlight Primary School, in St Leonards Road, Brighton, at the end of the summer term.

He began working at Fairlight’s junior school in 1983, in the same week that Brighton and Hove Albion lost the FA cup final against Manchester United.

Since then he has seen many changes, including the merging of its primary and junior schools.

Mr Hills said: “There has always been so much to do, I have never had a boring day in my life.

“I have never woken up in the morning and thought I didn’t want to go to work. The children have been lovely and I have got a nice relationship with the parents.”

Mr Hills, who has also stood in as the acting headteacher at the school on several occasions, said he is looking forward to having some free time but thinks he will stay close to the school.

He said: “I can’t imagine not being involved with the school and whenever something interesting happens I’d like to think they will invite me along to it.

“The children come from all over Brighton and they are a very nice group so it would be sad not to have any association with the school. I like to think I’ll always be a part of it.”

Mr Hills began his teaching career in 1973 and taught at Woodingdean Middle School for eight years and Patcham Middle School for three years.

During that time he has seen many changes, including the growth of IT.

He is now in charge of IT at Fairlight Primary School, but remembers running the London Marathon when he worked at Patcham Middle School to raise £200 for its first computer.

He said: “It is very difficult to pick one highlight of my career, as so much happens at a school. You usually have 20 or 30 highlights a year.”