Felicity Lusk, the first woman to be appointed headteacher of a boys’ public school, has announced she is to retire and could trek off to New Zealand when she leaves.

Miss Lusk arrived at Abingdon School in 2010 and will retire at the end of the summer term in 2016.

She told parents, staff, governors and pupils on Monday: “By then I will have completed six years leading Abingdon, almost 20 years as a head, and enjoyed a career in education spanning some 40 years.

“I’m very surprised at the realisation that I shall celebrate my 60th birthday later this year – it feels time for me to look to the future.”

Miss Lusk added a recent production of Les Miserables, co-performed with girls from St Helen and St Katharine school, showed the school at its best, demonstrating “teamwork, inspiration, ambition, creativity and excellence”.

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Originally from New Zealand, Miss Lusk took over from Mark Turner at the day and boarding school in Park Road after moving from Oxford High School, which she led for 12 years.

And in 2011 she decided to break with tradition by scrapping Saturday classes, a move that proved popular with pupils and staff.

Regarding her decision, she told the Oxford Mail: “The boys were constantly exhausted – you have to stand up and say tradition is getting in the way.

“The effect on the pupils has been profound and there are now many more applications for jobs because staff did not want to come in to teach at 8am on a Saturday morning.

“When the time comes for me to leave it will be right – I said when I arrived I would do between five and seven years and I will have done 20 years as a head.

“I want to do other things and I am a great believer in moving on when you are happy.”

Miss Lusk has also overseen a fundraising campaign for a £15m science centre which is due to open in September.

Building work got under way last year and new facilities will include 21 teaching laboratories for biology, chemistry and physics.

As well as focusing on achieving the best possible academic results, Miss Lusk said she had tried to appoint the best staff and review the structure of the school day so staff and pupils found it easier to manage.

She added she has also concentrated on pupils’ “emotional intelligence” – how they treat each other, women and girls.

“That’s just as important as the academic side,” she added.

Miss Lusk said: “When I leave I may do something abroad - I’m going to do a lot of trekking.

“Last year I trekked in Bosnia and I have done the Inca Trail, but I would definitely like to do some trekking in New Zealand.”

A graduate of the Victoria University in Wellington, Miss Lusk studied music before becoming a music teacher.

She said there would be considerable interest in the headteacher’s post at Abingdon School.

Chairman of governors Adrian Burn said the recruitment process had started, adding: “Felicity will be a hard act to follow.”