ONE of Stroud’s longest serving teachers is retiring after more than 40 years at the school.

Rick Rutter will be leaving the classroom for the last time as he retires next month after 44 years at Archway School.

A passionate teacher and well-respected member of staff, Mr Rutter has taught a range of subjects over the years including media, sociology and PE.

Mr Rutter said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed it, I’ve worked with brilliant colleagues as well as wonderful kids and parents.”

Archway head teacher Colin Belford said: "I have been privileged to work alongside Rick and to learn from him during my time at Archway.

"His natural empathy with young people, his ability to cut through red tape to provide the best solutions for children and his wise counsel to staff will make him sorely missed."

Sport has always been a key part of Mr Rutter's life and he joined the school in 1973 as a PE teacher.

He taught many students over the years including the England International cricketer Jack Russell and former Oldham Athletic and Aston Villa player Ian Olney, Mr Rutter said: “they were brilliant to teach but that’s just because they loved their sport”.

PE was the first subject he taught but he went on to teach many other subjects as well such as media, maths, sociology and PSHE.

He was also the head of Whittington House when the school had the house system.

One of the highest positions he had in the school was as an assistant headteacher, he said: “this school is great for new teachers, they can work their way up fairly quickly.

“There can be challenges, as there are in any school, but it’s a great place to learn and develop your skills as a teacher.”

Mr Rutter said: “what I’ll miss the most is the students, and the advice I’d give them is to aspire to do the best you can and develop resilience to barriers in life.”

“Stroud is a very special place, and I’m very privileged to work here.

“A measure of Archway’s success is that it has only had five headteachers since it opened over 50 years ago, also most of the major department heads have been here for a very long time, so it just shows the longevity of some of the staff.”

“There are many teachers who have worked their way up in the school.”

Mr Rutter was born in London in 1943 and was brought up in Robin Hood’s Bay on the coast of North Yorkshire.

At the age of 21 he joined the air force, Rick served on active service in Aden, Yemen in 1967 during the British withdrawal of the region.

After spending nine years in the RAF, he started at Archway in September 1973.

Mr Rutter has three children, two sons aged 30 and 26, and a daughter aged 28.

His youngest son Jack is the captain of the England cerebral palsy football team and led the team to a fifth place finish in the Paralympic Games in Rio last year.

In his retirement Mr Rutter plans to play more sport and to go on holidays, as he said: "it's cheaper during term time".

His last day will be on Friday, July 21, the last day of term.

Mr Belford, Archway's head teacher, said: "In each of the schools in which I have worked, I have never come across a colleague who has been held in such high esteem and with such affection by so many.

"A pillar of our community is retiring - we shall miss him and we wish him well."