Pam Cummings left Falconer's Hill Junior School in Daventry at the end of term.

Mrs Cummings said: "I am going through a mixture of feelings. I will really miss the children and teaching them because that is what education is all about for me.

"I will also miss the wonderful staff and the school governors we have got here because they have given me fantastic support over the years."

Mrs Cummings is leaving to spend some time on her passion of art, in particular watercolours and ceramics.

She added: "I have had no time to do any painting or art over the past few years while I was a headteacher.

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"I am not wanting to go straight into another job, but if I get bored at home then I will see what is available.

"I didn't want to run out of energy doing this job, I wanted to go out on a high."

When she arrived at Falconer's Hill Junior School the Sats passmark was low.

Mrs Cummings said: "We only had a 30 per cent pass rate for Sats and half of the pupils would come in without school uniform.

"The Sats marks are now 80 or 90 per cent and some children come to school even if they are sick because they have such fun here."

There will be an interim headteacher at the school until April when Stephen Dadd, the current headteacher of Badby Primary School, will take over.