How to have a positive and fulfilling retirement

Firstly, I acknowledge that I am very fortunate. I’d been a primary school headteacher for 26 years and a teacher for 38 in total, had enjoyed (most of) it, and knew that I didn’t want to do it anymore. Hopefully, I’d made the decision to ‘retire’ from headship before others decided that I ought to, I’d worked with a brilliant financial adviser for a number of years who’d helped me plan my post-work years, and I was healthy.

After informing my amazing leadership team & co-Chairs of Governors of my decision in December 2021 I was surprised by how important I found it that my successor be brilliant. Again, I was fortunate in that my school’s Governing Body allowed me to be involved (appropriately) in the process, and consequently they appointed a phenomenal next Headteacher.

My last day of term as headteacher in July 2022 was followed by what felt like a normal summer holiday, including a ‘formal’ handover to my successor halfway through. And then … nothing can feel better than going away on holiday on the first day of the autumn term (after 38 years of no term-time holidays). Sue, my wife, and I headed off on an amazing six-week road trip around Scotland.

On our return my ‘what next?’ really started. A friend of mine (not in education) had warned me of doing too much of what you love straight away – he loves golf, started playing three times a week and then found when he wanted to do other things he didn’t want to let his various golfing buddies down.

So, I stayed on as a Governor at my local primary school and on the committee of my NAHT Branch, joined a gym, bought a new bike, and set to on my allotment. As time has gone on (I’m now two years into retirement) I’ve steadily added areas of interest – I’m now a Governor in two primary schools and a Trustee of a MAT; I host the annual West Sussex Leadership Conference; and I’m the (very part-time) Locality Lead Director for West Sussex’s Teaching School Hub. Importantly (I think) I’ve entrusted a close group of former colleagues to tell me when my time is up in these latter roles – I definitely don’t want to be the old ex-headteacher who stays around too long.

A number of things have struck me as I’ve grown into my retirement – how I had lived in my community for over 20 years but wasn’t really a part of it; that I now much prefer voluntary roles to paid ones; and that you have to work at keeping in touch with people but it’s so worth it.

I’m not a hobbyist & I like being physically active – so my days reflect this – I’m a Churchyard Gardener, I’m now on the Allotments’ Association committee, I volunteer for Duke of Edinburgh expeditions as a helper, I play golf and tennis each week. It takes me twice as long to get anywhere locally now as I always see old and new friends to chat to.

So, the message – if you’re lucky enough to be able to, is to do what a very wise & wonderful woman (Jaz Ampaw-Farr) said to me – in retirement don’t just focus on what you want to do but how you want to feel.