The head teacher at Sandwich Technology School has announced she is leaving.

Veronica Gomez, 55, will be taking early retirement after four years as head of the school.

She said: “This is an incredibly high pressured job with very long hours but it’s an exciting and challenging job, no two days are the same.

“I love the kids and I will really miss working with the students.”

Ms Gomez plans to go travelling with her husband Norman Mather, 63, who will be retiring in August.

“It’s not that I don’t enjoy my job, I’m just lucky that we’re in the position that I can afford it. My head teacher colleagues are very jealous,” she said.

She plans to travel round America’s national parks, before volunteering in a school in either Africa or India.

She added: “We needed to do it while we’re still fit and healthy enough to do it.”

Ms Gomez joined the school as a teacher in 2001 and became head in 2010.

She has assured parents and staff that her departure will cause as little disruption as possible, which is why she is hoping to hire someone to replace her very soon.

The job will be advertised after the half-term holidays and she will be leaving in December and hopes to work out the last six months as a handover period alongside the new head teacher.