THE new associate head teacher at Thomas Whitham Sixth Form has said that it’s his job to “make himself redundant”.

Brendan Conboy will be at the Burnley school four days a week with the aim of handing over to a full-time head teacher once “the school’s future has been secured”.

The appointment comes after a deal to enter into a partnership with Burnley College collapsed.

The former Ss John Fisher and Thomas More RC High School headteacher stood down from his role as head at Our Lady’s Catholic College in Lancaster after seven years in the summer.

Mr Conboy, who was at the Colne school from 2002 to 2007, said that he had not ruled out recommending to the governors that the sixth form should convert to academy status.

He added that he had not yet had the chance to meet everybody at the school but added that he also intended to meet with neighbouring schools to canvass their opinions on the future of the sixth form.

The school said that a “central part” of Mr Conboy’s role will be to consult with governors, students, parents and the community to identify the best plan for “the next chapter” in it’s history.

The former chair of the Lancashire Headteacher’s Association said: “I am extremely proud and delighted to have been asked by the governors to take on such a stimulating and rewarding role.

“It’s a role that I could not turn down and after a few months in retirement I decided that I wanted to get back to work.

“My job is to make myself redundant and recommend a way forward to the governing body so that they can appoint a full-time head teacher to manage that process.

“That’s why I wanted to give myself the ‘associate headteacher’ title as this process is likely to take around 18 months to two years but is not full time.”

Acting head teacher Simon Davies is understood to have returned to Burnley College.

The 57-year-old dad-of-three, who has spent 35 years in teaching, grew up in Accrington and is the eldest of seven children.

He said: “This is a very exciting time for Thomas Whitham Sixth Form and this is a great opportunity to continue to grow this fantastic school.”