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Bernard Ponting with his granddaughter Emma Ponting who is a Year 8 pupil at the school

Caretaker Bernard Ponting will say farewell to pupils and staff at Malmesbury School today, after 32 years.

However, his links go back to 1954 when the old school in Corn Gastons opened, and he was a pupil.

Now after seeing the school move to a new site, and hundreds of students and teachers passing through its doors, the school's most familiar fixture is handing back his keys.

Mr Ponting, 64, and his wife Linda, will be leaving their beloved caretaker's bungalow behind.

He said: "It is much more than just a job you give up. It is a lifestyle and a whole way of life. It is a very, very friendly school and although I haven't got emotional yet I will have to wait and see nearer the time.

"The biggest change I have seen is the school moving to its new site.

"The staff seem to get younger and younger every year to the extent that I can't tell them apart from the sixth formers. But I am always amazed at how professional they seem to be when they come in and teach."

Mr Ponting, who was born and raised in Malmesbury, spent 16 years as a councillor and was mayor in 1983-84.

He worked at WH Smith in the town before taking on a job at Adey's garage in the High Street, after he left school.

Then he applied for the assistant caretaker role at the school, where old site manager, Maurice Goodfield, who he says had a wicked sense of humour', taught him all he knows.

Grandfather to Emma, 13, Daniel, ten, and Mollie, eight, Mr Ponting saw his children Jason and Julie pass through the school and now his eldest grandchild is in Year 8.

"I'm known more as Emma's granddad these days than as Bernie." he said.

"The pupils have always called me by my first name but I don't mind. I would be a liar if I said I had never had any cheeky banter but it is part of the job.

"I have always worked under the maxim that there is one of me and 1,200 of them so try to keep on the right side of them."

Staff threw a party for Mr and Mrs Ponting last week but he is hoping to leave quietly tomorrow. "I would like to leave without too much fuss," he said "If I am a good boy they may do what usually happens when staff leave, it will be a small presentation in the staff room at lunchtime."

Headteacher Malcolm Trobe, who has worked with Mr Ponting since he started 16 years ago, said: "Bernard has been absolutely brilliant, a real asset to the school.

"Everybody finds him extremely friendly and easy to get on with - whether it is giving up his time for staff or to help out countless pupils with bags locked in lockers.

"He will be greatly missed by all of us."

7:00am Friday 4th April 2008

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