ONGRIDGE High School today says farewell to headteacher Alan Lewis after 23 years at what is now a maths and computing college.
And it is preparing to welcome his successor as head, Garstang High School deputy head Jane Green, at the start of the autumn term on September 1.
Mr Lewis's retirement after a headship of 16 years was marked by a farewell dinner at Ferrari's Country House hotel in Thornley, and a final assembly this week as the summer term concludes.
In his sixteenth and final report at last October's annual senior prizegiving, when he announced his retirement, Mr Lewis told pupils, parents and guests: "The received wisdom is that you should always aim to go out at the top. I have to say that if I was pressed to choose a year group on which to give my final report, then I couldn't have chosen a better group to report on than the young people present tonight."
Jane Green, who has been deputy head at Garstang since June 2001, said she was greatly looking forward to taking up the headship at Longridge High "and building on the magnificent work Alan Lewis and his staff have achieved.
"He and they have been very, very welcoming to me showing me around a school where he has achieved great strides in education which I aim to build on."
Mrs Green added: "I am passionate about education - it has the power to transform young people's lives and, basically, I want the children of Longridge to have the best possible start in life with the best possible education at Longridge High School."
The News will feature a Wednesday Profile on Mrs Green in a future edition.