Headteachers will retire early from five secondary schools this year, fuelling concerns of an impending crisis.

The departure of some of Sussex's most respected heads follows less than 18 months after the General Teaching Council for England warned vacancies were becoming harder to fill because of teachers' concerns at workload and stress levels.

Peter May, headteacher of The Weald School in Billingshurst, is the latest to announce his retirement.

Mr May, 59, said: "I've been a head for 18 years, ten years here, and I feel now is the right time to go. I will be leaving at a time when the school is in a position of real strength."

It has had steady improvements in results under his leadership and was praised by Ofsted as good with outstanding features.

Last week Mr May attended a Downing Street function to celebrate the work of the country's 100 national leaders in education after he was named among them last year.

Heads of four other schools rated outstanding by inspectors have also announced their retirement this academic year. Craig Pamphilon will leave Uckfield Community Technology College, Richard Pitts will retire from Claverham Community College, Battle, and Tony Campbell will step down from St Richard's Catholic College, Bexhill. All are in their late 50s.

Peter Evans, 63, retired from Cardinal Newman Catholic School in Hove at Christmas after 13 years.

Mr Pamphilon and Mr Evans both plan to do consultancy work and continue as school improvement partners, helping other heads.

Mr Pamphilon said: "We are among quite a few heads of around the same age and there will inevitably be more retiring in the next few years.

"There has not been a problem recruiting for Uckfield and I think the school will move forward well but on a wider scale there is certainly going to be an issue."

New heads have been appointed at Uckfield and Claverham but Cardinal Newman has had to advertise a second time.

Professor John Howson, of schools research group Education Data Surveys, said jobs had been advertised for 36 Sussex schools since September, including primary, secondary and specials, and seven had to readvertise.

Schools nationwide have been forced to increase incentives to make headships attractive. The Weald is offering up to £88,803 and a relocation package.

In Brighton and Hove, where new heads started at Longhill High and Blatchington Mill secondary schools this year, recruitment has not been a concern.

A city council spokesman said: "We aren't having recruitment problems because we are a very attractive place for potential and current headteachers and this is partly because we're doing so well as a city.

"We no longer have any notice to improve schools and haven't had any special measures for a while now.

We believe there are very few authorities that can match this."

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