A popular headteacher is to take early retirement after 33 years in teaching. John Rhodes, who has been head of Ballacottier Primary School since it opened, leaves his post in the summer. Mr Rhodes trained as a teacher in Durham 36 years ago. His first teaching position was in Basildon, Essex. He moved on to teach at Little Thurrock Primary School in Grays, Essex. He moved to the Isle of Man with his family in 1989 to take up a post at Willaston Primary School. After several years there, he was appointed deputy headteacher at Fairfield Junior School, where he remained for six years. He was appointed headteacher designate at the then-unbuilt Ballacottier School in 1997 and opened the new school in September 1998. ‘Ballacottier School is a fabulous place for children and staff to work in. It is a special place with a special atmosphere and this is often commented on by visitors. I hope that the new headteacher is able to maintain this and enjoy the school as much as I have,’ said Mr Rhodes. ‘We have a wonderful team here at Ballacottier and I thank them all, past and present, for their hard work and support over the last 13 years.’ Asked to recall highlights of his career, Mr Rhodes revealed he taught Russell Brand at Little Thurrock School and, although not mentioned by name, featured in the comedian’s best-selling Booky Wook. ‘I took a bottle of whisky in to the school in 1984 to celebrate my daughter’s birth with colleagues (after school, of course) and afterwards it was secreted in a staffroom cupboard to gather dust. Years later, Russell and a friend were dispatched by me to wash the teachers’ mugs, found the bottle in a cupboard and took a swig or two. The rest of the story is in the book but, in a nutshell, he reckoned he had not been found out. That was until I read his book some 20 years later and emailed Russell to let him know he had. ‘Thus began an attempt by the BBC to get me on Russell’s Radio 2 show to spill the beans on his time at school. Thankfully, although I was scheduled to appear on the show, it didn’t happen as my telephone slot on the show was taken at the last minute by the unexpected arrival in the studio that Saturday night by Paul McKenna. Phew! This was shortly before his show was taken off air.’ Mr Rhodes said: ‘At Little Thurrock School I taught a reception class for several years. One day I told a little lad to go and wash his hands in the toilets. He did – literally! The next day his mum wanted to know why. ‘I suppose another “highlight” was getting stranded hundreds of miles from home with 65 children after leading a party to York from Essex. On the day we were due to drive back, the ‘great storm of ‘87’ hit. ‘We couldn’t get back and after phoning 65 parents and a bit of reorganization, we were allowed to stay an extra day in the hotel. They put on a video for us – a real wow in those days – and arranged burger and chips for the kids. So we had a fabulous extra night free. ‘Driving down the A1 the next day, the coach was pretty silent. The children couldn’t believe the sight of lorries, caravans and other vehicles strewn on the hard shoulder and adjacent fields, blown over and wrecked.’ Mr Rhodes’ wife, Cathy, is a nursery teacher at Willaston School. They have two grown-up children, Rebecca, who teaches in the nursery at Ashley Hill School, and Adam, an IT consultant, website designer and musician who plays in the Manx group King Chiaullee and Jamie Smith’s Mabon. Mr Rhodes looks forward in retirement to completing all those little jobs around the house that his wife says he never got round to over the last 20 years. Martin Barrow, Senior Adviser with the Department of Education and Children, said: ‘Mr Rhodes has been a popular, enthusiastic and energetic first headteacher for Ballacottier School and as such has been responsible for leading its development into the happy and successful school it is today. I know that he will be greatly missed by everyone connected with the school and its community and I am sure they would join with the Department in wishing him a long, happy and healthy retirement.’ The vacant headship will be advertised next week. Ends