CHILDREN at St Julian's junior school are preparing to say a fond farewell to their longest-serving teacher who is coming to the end of his own yellow brick road.

David Davies, who has spent his entire career at the school, is taking early retirement and bows out at the end of term.

Youngsters are also staging their production of the Wizard of Oz this week - the last production Mr Davies will attend as a teacher there.

Mr Davies, 56, who began teaching in January 1973, plans to devote more time to his wife Linda. He also aims to spend more hours on the golf course, and intends keeping fit by going cycling more regularly.

Mr Davies said: "I will miss the children and the many friends I've made through the school."

But, he said, despite a passion for teaching other aspects of his job prompted the decision to retire early, and he was criticical of the demands placed upon modern teachers.

"To be honest, I am fed up with the way the bureaucracy and paperwork have taken up increasing amounts of my time in recent years," he said.

"The actual teaching is much the same now as it was when I started in 1973, but the paperwork and form-filling have become increasing burdens these last few years."