his post in August after a five-year stint with the private school on Richmond Road in Pembroke. Following retirement, Mr. Wright plans to return to his home town in Mobile, Alabama. "I haven't lived there since 1948,'' he said, "but my grandchildren and all of my family live there so I'm looking forward to it.'' He added: "Bermuda has been wonderful. The people are great and I've really enjoyed my time here but it will be good to go home.'' Mr. Wright spent ten years heading the Masters School in Dobbs Ferry, New York -- also an all-girls school -- before he arrived in Bermuda in 1990. A fan of single sex education, Mr. Wright said he came to BHS when Saltus (formerly an all boys school) was deciding to go co-ed. "BHS was asked to join Saltus but we went pro-girls. "And after taking a public stance in our commitment to an all-girls education, we've seen tremendous growth in the school,'' he said, adding that there are 90 more students now than in 1990. Even with growing competition from other private schools, BHS is still flourishing. And next year, there will be more than 600 girls at the school, said Mr. Wright. Still no more than 20 girls will be placed in any one class to ensure individual attention and first-class schooling. Mr. Wright, who was the first American to become head of BHS, which is operated under the British system of education, said many questions were raised concerning the fact that he is American and experienced in the US school system. "But I've been working with the British system and I'm convinced that BHS should remain very British -- it's what the country wants,'' he noted. "The strong academic programme prepares girls for post secondary education both in England and North America. And if we were to turn to the American or Canadian system, girls wouldn't be so prepared for British schools. "But it's definitely been very different for me under the British system,'' he added. Since Mr. Wright has headed BHS, the life skills programme has developed and expanded. Students continuously learn life skills throughout their education starting with five-year-olds, said Mr. Wright. In fact, six faculty members are now trained to instruct the life skills programme. As well, BHS has become aware of the concept of the girls' whole development, not only academically but socially. And BHS now has a Dean of Students to look after non-academic programmes, he noted. Mr. Wright said he has enjoyed working with the full range of girls from five-year-olds to 17-year-olds. And more than anything else, he will miss them. "They're the best group of girls I've ever worked with,'' he said. PHOTO HEADMASTER -- Mr.

John Wright