Cheltenham College has announced the appointment of its next head of college, experienced independent school leader Chris Townsend, this July 2025.
Chris will join the college in April next year, following the departure of current head Nicola Huggett at the end of the spring term 2026.
Nicola, who has served as head of the college since 2018, is moving into a new role overseas.
The college says Chris brings 'a proven track record of innovation in the academic, pastoral and co-curricular sphere' with 30 years of experience in the independent schools sector.
A former first-class cricketer, Chris grew up in Cheltenham and was educated at Dean Close School, where he also began his teaching career after obtaining a degree in classics from the University of Oxford's Brasenose College.
For the past 15 years he as worked at the 'highly prestigious' Felsted School in Essex, where he became deputy head in 2010 and head in 2015.
Chris said of his appointment: 'It is a real honour to have been given the chance to build on the excellent work of Nicola Huggett as the next head at Cheltenham College and I look forward to getting to know everyone in the community in the coming weeks and months.'
President of the Cheltenham College council, William Straker-Nesbit, said: 'I am delighted to announce the appointment of the 23rd head of Cheltenham College, Chris Townsend who will join us from the start of the summer term 2026.
'Chris brings with him a wealth of experience having
held senior positions in a variety of leading UK boarding schools. We wish him,
his wife Melanie, their children David and Lydia, a very warm welcome to
Cheltenham.'
