THE headteacher of a Worcester primary school is swapping the surroundings of Tolladine to make a new life in the Philippines.

Lawrence Buck, who has been in charge of Gorse Hill Community Primary School for a year and a term, has been called upon to start up a new school for children in the south Asian country.

Mr Buck, aged 52, already speaks the Philippine language of Tagalog as he taught in the country for 11 years before coming to Worcester. He said: "Things will be difficult and a lot different from Tolladine in the Philippines. There's a state of emergency after a coup.

"But this is a great personal opportunity and something I couldn't say 'no' to.

"It's sad because I've loved my time at Gorse Hill and this school's got some great kids. Tolladine's a challenging environment and I'll really miss it." Mr Buck will leave the Holly Mount Road school when it breaks up for Easter on Thursday, April 6, and he will fly out to Manila that night. Governors are advertising for a replacement. "When you work in the Philippines you have to understand the cultural differences, he said.

"There's almost a Mediterranean work culture, where everything is 'maana' but when you're setting up a school you've got to have deadlines."

The father-of-two left his headship at St Paul's Primary School in Hereford to work at the British School in Manila, when he decided he wanted to work abroad.

He introduced the British national curriculum to the school, which has taught children of 35 different nationalities.

"In a way the opportunity to return has come too early for me as I was enjoying my time in Gorse Hill but they said it was now or never so I had to go for it."