THE HEADTEACHER of the Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester is stepping down at the end of the current term after more than 20 years at the helm.

Dr Iain Melvin will hand over the reins of the secondary school, having handed in his notice three years after he originally tried to resign.

Dr Melvin, 59, first signalled his intentions to step down in October 2007 but after attempts to recruit a new headteacher failed he was persuaded to carry on.

After the first attempt to appoint a successor failed, the post was re-advertised in August 2008 and Dr Melvin was again persuaded to continue while the recruitment process took place.

The job was advertised for a third time in the Times Education Supplement last autumn but none of the 20 applicants for the £125,000-a-year post were even shortlisted.

Dr Melvin has now confirmed he will definitely be stepping down at the end of this term and school governors say they hope to make a new appointment early next year.

In the intervening period between Dr Melvin’s departure and the new headteacher’s arrival the school’s senior management team will work together to oversee the running of the school.

Dr Melvin said: “I felt in terms of the school’s ability and capacity to find a new head teacher it was perhaps best if there was an interregnum between my departure and the appointment.”

Dr Melvin said he informed the school’s governors of his decision in June and officially handed his notice in at the end of September.

After 23 years in the role, Dr Melvin admitted it would be a ‘wrench’ to step down from the post in December.

He said: “It’s just beginning to hit me – certainly it will be a wrench.”

Dr Melvin added that while he had been happy to carry on when asked previously by governors, his decision to finally step down had come because he felt it would be ‘good for the school’.

He said: “While I was always prepared and honoured to carry on, I think one can’t go on forever and it’s important for them to have a clear run before appointing someone else.”

Clerk to the governors Tony Day said the post would be advertised in the coming weeks and with a view to the school’s governing body interviewing shortlisted candidates in January.

He added: “There will be a slight gap as the person won’t be able to start straight away but we hope that gap will be as short as possible.

“During the intervening period between the school will be under the leadership of the senior management team.”

Mr Day also paid tribute to Dr Melvin’s contribution to the school and promised a fitting send off. He said: “He has made an outstanding contribution to this school and it’s now a very successful school.

“The governors are very much minded of that and no doubt we will mark his retirement appropriately.

“It is the end of an era but we look forward to the school carrying on and continuing to be highly successful.”