Wrekin College head is off to Charterhouse
The headmaster of Wellington's Wrekin College will be leaving his post next year to take up a new role at one of the country's top independent schools.
Richard Pleming has been appointed headmaster of Charterhouse in Surrey, and will take up his role in January.
Mr Pleming took up the Wrekin post in September 2011, having been a Cambridge scholar and housemaster at St Edward's in Oxford. He said he would be sad to leave, but is looking forward to starting his new job.
"My family and I have developed a deep affection for Wrekin. We will be very sad to leave, but the opportunity to run one of the historic schools of England does not come round very often," he said.
Since arriving at Wrekin College Mr Pleming has overseen many changes, and as a result the school was featured for the first time in the Tatler Schools Guide 2013, which said of Wrekin: "The ethos here is to see the best in everyone, and it shines through."
Mr Pleming said: "Our recent experience in appointing to key posts has proved that Wrekin is seen as a school that is going places. With an excellent senior management team and a very strong staff at all levels, there is tremendous momentum going forwards."
The Governors of the college have already started searching for a successor.
George Campion, chairman of governors, paid tribute to Mr Pleming's work and said the governors hoped to find someone who could continue to move the college forward.
He said: "Richard Pleming has made a substantial impact at Wrekin in a short time and we are sorry to see him go.
"We have recently made a number of senior management appointments and commenced our strategic development plan and all in all the school is in excellent shape to look to the future with excitement and enthusiasm."
Mr Pleming said he was looking forward to his new challenge. "I am absolutely delighted to be joining Charterhouse and hugely excited by the opportunity to run one of the great schools of England," he said.
"I look forward very much to building on the successes of my eminent predecessors and to overseeing the next stage of the School's development."
He is replacing Reverend John Witheridge who has been head at Charterhouse for the past 17 years.
Simon Robinson, chairman of the school's governing body commented: "I am very pleased to be able to announce the appointment of Richard as our next headmaster."
