39 years. A lot can happen in 39 years.

This time, 39 years ago, Paul Hardcastle topped the charts with 19. Everton FC had won the league title, and the Miners' Strike had just come to an end.

And it is across 39 years, that a local man has started, and now ended his association with a Macclesfield School.

Macclesfield schoolteacher John Percival is retiring after 39 years with The King's School.

The Marton man has truly been a backbone of the teaching staff, returning to his old school to spend 32 years teaching geography, coaching rugby and, more occasionally, cricket and leading Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. 

Admired and respected, John is both old school and new school, both a strong role model and a natural, charismatic communicator.

He said: "My generation of teachers has experienced the greatest change. I started my career using a blackboard and chalk; now we are using Microsoft OneNote, which allows us to see what the pupils are writing as they answer questions and take notes."

"However, I like to think that my style owes much, maybe subconsciously, to my own teachers: Peter Matthews, Keith Perris, Barry Edwards, Dai Jones, Mike Hart, Mark Harbord and the like, some sadly no longer with us; who were great academically but also multi-dimensional and superb communicators both on a one to one basis and in front of the class."

"That's the key skill: communication. You need to be able to communicate on different levels, with different pupils of all ages, at different times, in different places. There is no formula, you can't just trot the same old clichés; you need to see each pupil as an individual."

"That's how you buildpositive relationships with pupils, being someone who is at their side in the classroom, but also with them up a mountain top or in the trenches on the rugby field."

There was a short period of time between his association with the school as a student, and as staff member, but this hasn't dampened celebrating the success of almost 40 years being associated with the historic Macclesfield educational institution.

From a family of teachers, John went to King's from 1977 to 1984, before going to Aberystwyth University to study Environmental Sciences and play rugby in the tough Mid Wales leagues. Though he was then advised not to go into teaching, saying with a smile, "I tried a proper job and didn't like it," he first spent three years at St. Bede's in Manchester, before gladly returning to his alma mater.

"What I love and still love to this day, is the light bulb moment. When you see a pupil grasp a difficult problem. Often it can be a brief glimmer before you go on to the next challenge, but it's when you see them understanding the task in hand."

His fondest memories are, however, perhaps on the ruby field spending 25 years coaching the 1st XV, 2nd XV, under-16s and under-15s and being a floating forwards coach.

An uncompromising loose head prop, which is putting it politely, John was part of the team that pioneered King's expansive worldwide rugby tours, going to Canada twice, South Africa, Singapore and Australia. "On the South Africa tour I went with my two rugby playing sons, Daniel, now a teacher and Jake, who works for the Environment Agency, and I suppose that stands out as a great personal and professional highlight." 

It's truly been a family affair with his wife Paula, one of the school's secretaries, working for King's for 20 years.

However, while Paula remains at King's, John will be up mountain tops, in his garden, fishing and venturing further afield as he intends to see new places and explore. He will leave with everyone's thanks and respect.

Head of King's Jason Slack said: "We will truly see the end of an era when John leaves at the end of this academic year. John has been instrumental in positively shaping the lives of so many King's pupils for over a generation."

"He is universally popular and always among the first names that former pupils mention when recalling their best memories of school life. We will all miss him a great deal."

Other highlights across John's tenure, is organising Movember charity donation drives, and championing a press-up challenge in aid of Cancer Research UK.