A DEDICATED headteacher who transformed a struggling Oldbury school is to retire after 10 years at the helm.

When Gordon Phillips arrived at The Meadows Sport College as acting headteacher, the special school had a poor reputation, demoralised staff and was heading for financial crisis.

Five terms later, governors made his role permanent and, after being judged good with outstanding features at its last Ofsted, Mr Phillips hopes all areas will be graded outstanding in its forthcoming inspection.

The 63-year-old said: “We have managed to turn The Meadows round from a poor, underperforming school to one which now has one of the best reputations in Sandwell.”

He added: “I can leave the school happy that it is in a very strong position, with most of the students achieving above the norm for those with special needs, wonderful relationships with parents and carers, and outstanding staff and governing body.”

Mr Phillips arrived in England, aged two, the son of poor Indian refugees, and faced a tough time growing up and into adulthood from racism and taunts about his stature.

Originally a design technology teacher, he recalls being told he had narrowly missed out on a head of department post not because he was “coloured” but because it was offered to the “taller” candidate.

He said: “The difficult challenges I faced made me stronger and far more caring and understanding of other people. It made me want to treat every child and adult I worked with as fairly as I possibly could.”

Mr Phillips, whose first teaching post in 1975 was at the secondary modern school he had attended as a pupil, was drawn to special needs teaching because of his experiences.

“A lot of people dismiss special needs children, thinking they should just be looked after rather than realising they are real human beings and deserve to be treated the same as everybody else,” he added.

Mr Phillips, who has had five headships in his 41-year career, has raised £11,000 for extra specialist equipment and the creation of a sensory garden and nature trail at the Dudley Road East School, with an annual 10k sponsored run over nine years.

He is eager to raise £4,000 with his final run at RAF Brize Norton, Carterton, Oxfordshire, on Sunday April 10, to replace worn-out playground equipment.

Mr Phillips is calling on all Sandwell schools to hold a non-uniform day to raise money for his appeal, which he said would be a “fantastic retirement gift”.

Although he does not officially retire until August, the school will interview for a successor next month to allow a transition period to ensure a smooth handover.

He and his wife, Diana, who is also retiring from her teaching post in Walsall, will return full-time to their Oxfordshire home, where Mr Phillips plans to expand his work as an agent for energy products company Herbalife International.