A TOP secondary school last week bid farewell to its headteacher after 20 years.

Pupils, teachers, parents and governors past and present joined Alex Biddle, who is leaving his role of headteacher at Wokingham's St Crispin's School this week, for two celebrations, on Thursday and Saturday.

The PTA announced it will be giving a bursary of �500 per year for six years in Mr Biddle's name to support students in the arts and he was also presented with a bicycle as a leaving gift.

Mr Biddle said he felt "genuinely honoured" to have the bursary in his name and said: "My message is to those people I shall miss most - and those are the students.

"They have been a constant part of my life here at St Crispin's. They are such a wonderful group of young people.

"I would like wish them every success for the future and I hope they have as much happiness in their professions as I have had in mine. I shall miss them." Mr Biddle, who started his teaching career in 1974, will become an education adviser for Reading-based CfBT Education Trust. Ginny Rhodes, deputy head at Crowthorne's Edgbarrow School, will join the school as its new headteacher in January.

In the autumn term, the two existing deputy heads will run the school on a co-headship, during which the final touches will be made to a new science block, multi-use games area and redesigned classrooms. It is hoped the �5.5m project will be ready for pupils by December.