A SCHOOL said goodbye to its headteacher yesterday.

Roland Sterry has retired from his post at Parkside School in Willington, having been headteacher for six years.

Mr Sterry, 55, led the school through an information technology Government testbed project, and this year saw the school become a sports and ICT college. This year's GCSE results were the best acheived by the school.

Mr Sterry said: "I think the school has developed immensely. It was already a good school, but the ICT testbed has really enhanced the technology and learning in the school.

"The recent transition to specialist college status has given us fantastic facilities."

Mr Sterry will be succeeded by Linda Davies, deputy headteacher at Staindrop Business and Enterprise College.

Also retiring was bursar Dorothy Middleton, who has worked at the school for 20 years and former assistant headteacher Sue Routledge, who had taught at the school for about 30 years.