A pioneering head teacher who was the first in the country to introduce state bilingual teaching is retiring.

Marc Wolstencroft, head of the Wix Primary School, in Battersea, implemented the project in 2006 which was a joint venture between the French Lycée in South Kensington, funded by the French state, and Wandsworth Council.

It has since won international awards, global media coverage and at the centre of the experiment was the possibility that children in a state primary might be able to complete a bilingual French and English curriculum simultaneously.

Along the way, it has seen a significant turnaround in fortune for the primary school.

Mr Wolstencroft said: "I have had an amazing time at Wix. It has been quite simply the best job I have ever had.

"Being a head teacher of any primary school - even one as special as Wix - is a bit like a relay race.

"Sooner or later the time always comes to pass the baton on to someone new to take the school even further on its journey. I wish the school every success in the future."