'It's the best job in the world' says much-loved Knaresborough teacher as he retires after 35 years

Paul Keogh, King James’ hugely inspirational and respected Head of Transition and Year 7 Learning Manager, who arrived as a 24-year-old and is set to leave as a 59-year-old, said it was a tough decision.

"I’m very sad to go. It’s the best job in the world.

"Teaching successive generations of people at such a great school with such brilliant colleagues over the years has been wonderful.

"I’ve had a lot of tears thinking “should I or shouldn’t I” – whether I should hang my boots up? Or my chalk!

"It’s been a privilege to work with young people.

“School is a haven for kids. Some of them have a tough life so we have to get it right for them.

"But King James’s was my first school and it will be my last.”

Over the last nearly four decades, Paul has taught French to literally hundreds of Knaresborough children and families.

But teaching has always been in this hugely respected figure’s blood.

His dad was a head teacher and his two brothers are both in the profession.

Paul, who was born in Manchester but moved to Knaresborough for his first teaching role, met his wife Julie at King James’s who is still a Special Needs teacher at the school.

The couple’s two children, Natalie and Matthew, were both educated at King James’s.

Known for his positive attitude and sense of humour, as well as his sheer commitment, Paul has forged success for the school and its pupils outside the curriculum, too.

Day trips to Bologne in France, staff football; matches, exchanges with the French school of Privas, fancy dress parties, charity fundraisers.

He has also been in charge of the transition of all children from primary to secondary school for many years.

One day a week, Paul passes on his advanced skills to other teachers of languages in 30 to 40 schools across North Yorkshire.

All this activity means Paul has accidentally become a national figure in education, speaking national conferences, appearing on TV and radio, including BBC TV’s Question Time, his hard work recognised in a string of major awards.

In 2003, he was named Teacher of the Year in a Secondary school and, in 2004, he was awarded an MBE by the Queen for services to Education.

As tends to happen, his investiture turned into a story itself with the Lord Chamberlain phoning Paul up afterwards to offer an apology.

"When it was my turn to go up to receive the MBE at Buckingham Palace, there was an announcement saying the honour was being awarded for services to the MoD in Iraq.

"I said to the Queen “it’s not me, Ma'am.”

"Then we heard a kerfuffle and saw one of the Lord Chamberlain’s colleagues was on the floor.

"The Queen paused and said to me “should we carry on?”

"A couple of days the phone rang when Julie was in and it was the Lord Chamberlain apologising for ruining the service, which he hadn’t, anyway.”

Positive to a tee, Paul remains upbeat about education, in general, and King James’s School, in particular, in what are contentious times.

He has seen many changes and challenges over the years for teachers and teaching.

He once met the then Prime Minister Tony Blair at a garden party and told the Labour leader “you started with “education, education, education” and we’ve ended up with “testing, testing, testing”.

Paul said: “Teaching is about making learning fun.

"In some ways, but not all, it’s a little like being a stand-up comedian except you have a captive audience.

"I think we over-assess kids these days and class sizes nationwide are getting bigger and there’s a shortage of funding.

“I know all that. But I look on the positive side.

"I have faith in children and in our teachers.”

Retiring at the end of this term will enable Paul to finally relax after all these years, perhaps, take up golf.

But only a little. Paul has not entirely turned his back on the profession he loves passionately.

"I’m not cutting my ties to King James’s completely,” said Paul.

"I’ve still got things to share.

"Thirty-five years has given me a lot of experience.

"I will be coming back to do supply work and might take up consultancy work in education."