The respected head of an elite Birmingham independent school is set to take early retirement after suffering a minor stroke.
John Claughton, chief master at King Edward's School, in Edgbaston, has revealed he is to leave in July next year after ten years at the helm.
In a letter to parents, the 58-year-old said: "I had a minor stroke just over a month ago which rendered me a bit wobbly in the right hand for a few days.
"I am now fully recovered but, in the course of the month, I have come to the decision that I should retire from the position of chief master in July 2016, four terms from now.
"By then I will have been chief master for 32 terms and will be within a few weeks of my 60th birthday so I don't feel I will be deserting my post with undue haste."
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Mr Claughton, who has helped make the school one of the top performing independents in the country, added: "As you might imagine, it has not been an easy decision to leave a school and a job that means so much to me but I do believe it is the right decision.
"I am immensely grateful to all of the school community, past and present, for your engagement with and support for the school that you have shown in my time here.
"I know that one of the best things we have achieved in my time has been to strengthen that community.
"The governors are fully aware of its significance and they will ensure that they appoint a successor who understands its value."
The move comes after King Edward's last year launched a £10 million fund-raising campaign to provide 100 places for pupils from poorer backgrounds.
The school is aiming to transform the lives of youngsters who would otherwise never get the chance to attend the exclusive historic institution.
Around 1,000 alumni and friends have contributed millions to the campaign, with its first intake of 60 means-tested assisted pupils starting last September.
The Assisted Places 100 (AP100) campaign was officially launched at the House of Commons and high-profile names backing the campaign include leading philanthropist Sir Paul Ruddock, David Willetts MP, TV presenter Bill Oddie, authors Jonathan Coe and Lee Child, as well as Andy Street, managing director of John Lewis.
