BOB Wolfson, director of Wiltshire County Council's department for children and education, is to leave the organisation after seven years.

Mr Wolfson, 55, tendered his resignation earlier in the year and is due to leave around Christmas.

Mr Wolfson, formerly a headteacher of a secondary school in Devon for 11 years, said his leaving was not due to the current budget crisis facing the county council.

He said: "It's been a long standing intention to not outstay my welcome. I think seven years is sufficient for me and the county council."

Mr Wolfson, who is married with three grown up children and lives near Chippenham, intends to retire from local government and pursue other interests.

He said: "I did 11 years as a headteacher and now seven years as director in Wiltshire, which is close on a total of 20 years of having a top job and working 70 hours a week.

"I am in a very fortunate position of having a highly paid wife and three grown up children and I'm young enough to start doing other things."

Mr Wolfson's wife, Penny, is a teacher for the deaf in Gloucestershire and she will continue to work after Mr Wolfson leaves the county council.

Mr Wolfson joked: "My wife says I am going to be king of the ironing board. Our roles will reverse as she was at home bringing up the children while I was at work, although of course our children are now grown up."

Mr Wolfson said he had achieved the specific aims of restoring relationships with schools and bringing the county's schools up to date with information technology as they were lagging behind when he joined.

He said exam results had improved in Key Stage 2 (aged 11) and Key Stage 3 (aged 14).

He has also encouraged small village schools with falling numbers to pursue joining with other schools in a federation to stave off possible closure.

He said he was proud that new schools and extensions had been built bringing improved working conditions, although he said that was not down to him but due to money from the Government.

Mr Wolfson joined the county council as chief education officer but in 2003 his title was renamed when his department took on children's social services.

He said: "We have been working on integrating children's and education services and hopefully that will pay dividends in the future. We have made sound progress in building the foundations.

"Our secondary schools have gone from strength to strength and are now high achieving. Our progress in Key Stage 3 based on provisional results is that we are much closer or in line with similar counties.

"It's been really good working with colleagues at County Hall, headteachers and parents and the overwhelming majority have been really supportive.

"I would like to think as a result of the work I have done that pupils are achieving better and people are working in better surroundings."

Mr Wolfson's successor is expected to be announced in late August or early September.