AUSSIE teacher Keith Bichel is preparing to head back down under after spending a year at a school in York.

Mr Bichel, 50, a maths teacher, swapped his school in Brisbane for Oaklands School in Acomb during 2001.

He said had enjoyed the year and it had also made him realise how much pressure English teachers are under compared with their colleagues in Australia.

"My first impression when I arrived was how terrific the staff are here and how hard they work and I didn't need Ofsted to tell me that," he said.

"The kids have been fantastic. It makes me so proud to have been working with them."

In Australia, he said there was no Ofsted, no National Curriculum and pupils did not take GCSEs.

"We set our own tests and do our own evaluations and I think the kids come out with the same.

"We have the same spread of abilities, the same disciplinary concerns and the same motivation concerns back home. Whether these are more or less depends on the school.

"We have shortages of teachers in certain areas, but not as dramatic as it is in England."

Mr Bichel has taken part in a teacher exchange scheme which has seen Oaklands teacher Cath Scruton spend a year at Corinda High School in Brisbane, where there are 1,300 pupils and pupils start at 13. He said: "The overwhelming thing here has been the interest in the exchange.

"The interest in Australia and in myself and all things Australian has just been incredible.

"The most popular questions have been about Home And Away and Neighbours, but my wife and I always watch more EastEnders unfortunately. They've also been interested in the animals, especially anything dangerous like dingoes and sharks."

During his year, Mr Bichel has done sports coaching with rugby league and cricket teams and accompanied school trips, including one to the First World War battlefields in France, which he said would probably rank as the most emotional event of the year.

"My wife's grandfather fought in the First World War and he was awarded a special medal. We found the village where he led the assault to get the town back from the Germans because the commanding officers were killed."

One of his last jobs at the school was as guest of honour at the school's presentation evening

Ex-Year 11 students were invited to the evening to receive their GCSE and other certificates.

Head teacher Michelle Burns told them: "The year group as a whole were a real credit to the school in many ways with individual achievements which were outstanding in a wide variety of fields ranging from A* gained to worthwhile vocational certificates, from brilliance in basketball to star quality in dancing, singing and performing in the production of Guys And Dolls."