How’s that for high-flying retirement plans? Two Bradford head teachers with 79 years’ experience between them are calling time on their careers and indulging in personal passions for cricket and aeroplanes.

Pottering around the garden is not on the agenda for Tong High School’s Lyn O’Reilly and Joan Law, of Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College.

Mrs Law, 62, is intent on gaining a microlight pilot licence, while Mrs O’Reilly, 61, aims to fly Down Under to follow the England cricket team in the Ashes.

Both are retiring from their respective schools this summer.

Lancashire-born Mrs Law has worked in education for 40 years. She has led Laisterdyke, in Leeds Road, for 21 years, during which time it opted out of local authority control, established post-16 provision and specialised in business and enterprise.

In 2007 a £3 million vocational skills centre opened at the school, which allows students to learn manual skills alongside academic study.

“People don’t fit into little boxes,” said Mrs Law. “They should be allowed to explore their interests and let them contribute to their overall success.”

Mrs O’Reilly, from Rochdale, aims to spend more time with her grandchildren and indulge her passion for cricket.

In her 16 years in charge, Tong High School has changed from Tong Upper and been rebuilt as part of Bradford Council’s Building Schools for Future programme. It has specialist sports status and is over-subscribed.

Bristol-born Mrs O’Reilly turned down a journalism career, resisting an offer from Fleet Street, to pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.

She joined Tong Upper as a senior teacher in 1994. She was deputy head before the upper school became a secondary in 2000, a change which brought with it 48 new staff and 900 more children. Two years later she was promoted to the top job and began planning for the new Tong High which opened in September 2008.

She said: “It’s been very difficult but when you have a fantastic team of dedicated staff like I have here it’s easier.”

Her departure comes as the school hopes to celebrate record GCSE results.