VETERAN maths and PE teacher Keith Wakefield will be hanging up his kit for the final time when he retires after almost 40 years of lessons in Kidderminster.

The 58-year-old will be counting on teachers and pupils to give him a good send-off when he ends his final chapter at Baxter College.

The dedicated teacher has been travelling from his home in Halesowen to teach in Kidderminster for 36 years after starting his career at the then-St John’s Middle School.

Mr Wakefield, who was part of the management team at St John’s, joined Baxter College eight years ago,when he was also pastoral leader and handled primary liaison.

“I’m very sad about retiring,”

said Mr Wakefield, who juggled his career with playing rugby for Kidderminster Carolians and Old Halesonians. “It’s really weird.”

He added: “I trained to teach the lower ability children and I got a lot of pleasure out of that so I’m going to miss that and the camaraderie with the staff.

“The staff at Baxter are superb so I’m really going to miss them.

It’s been great turning the school around from what it was.”

Mr Wakefield, who also volunteered as a retained firefireghter for West Midlands Fire Service and a special constable for the region’s police force, said his pupils were upset about him leaving.

“At the end of the day I’ve got to call time,” he said. “What I think I have brought to the school is promise.

“I’m a very happy bloke but I’m quite strict in what I do.”

Mr Wakefield plans to use his new-found time to travel to New Zealand and to enjoy his sporting hobbies.

“I’ve never done any travelling because of all of the jobs I have had so it’s my time to travel now,” he said.