A great-grandfather who left school at 14 said he “felt emotional” to have achieved a GCSE in English at the age of 73.
Former roofer Danny Davey, of Ipswich in Suffolk, sat his exam at Suffolk New College in the town and got a grade six.
Earlier this year the pensioner won a writing competition organised by the further education institution.
“I never wrote until I started here in September last year,” said Mr Davey.
“It’s 59 years since I went to school.
“Growing up, I went to about 15 different schools, left school at 14, got a holiday job and never went back (to school).
“I’ve always wanted to learn and improve myself. You should never stop learning – personal development is everyone’s responsibility.”
The father-of-four, who also has 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, continued: “I came to Suffolk New College to learn the rules of writing.
“On seeing my GCSE result, I generally felt emotional. I’m amazed.”
He said his message to other people considering returning to education in retirement is that “everyone needs a purpose – and there is nothing better than going back to learning”.
He added: “If I could give my 14-year-old self some advice it would be go back to school.”
Mr Davey previously sat GCSE maths at the college, achieving a C-grade in 2016.
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