A HEADTEACHER who is retiring after 28 years will do something generations of children have asked him to do before he goes - shave off his famous beard.
Dave Pannett, of Elsecar Holy Trinity Primary, will step down at Christmas. His last act will be to have the soup-strainer shaven as part of the plot for this year's school pantomime, A Christmas Tale Or What The Dickens. An Elsecar hairdresser will do the honours.
Mr Pannett, 58, wrote the play himself. He said: “Over the years there’s been threats for me to have a sponsored shave but I always managed to avoid it. This should be a nice bit of lunacy to end the year and my career.”
Mr Pannett has been head since 1984. He announced his retirement at this year's NUT meeting saying the pressure on staff to meet government targets in Ofsteds and SATs undermined teacher confidence. Money raised from the pantomime and shave will go towards new equipment for the school.
