Independent school names new head as it looks forward to development and growth

Toby Spence, currently headmaster at Sibford School in Oxfordshire, will take up the role at Wrekin College this September.

He will take over from Tim Firth who announced he would be stepping down at the end of this academic year in a letter to parents last term.

Mr Spence has been head at Sibford for seven years where he has overseen considerable growth, reinforced the school’s reputation for outstanding pastoral care and wellbeing as well as developing a highly respected value-added curriculum, and achieved impressive academic improvements.

Richard Pearson, chairman of Governors at The Wrekin and Old Hall Trust, which oversees both Wrekin College and Old Hall School, said today: “We knew finding a worthy successor to Tim would be a challenge but I am very pleased to report that after a comprehensive recruitment programme, we have found a new head for Wrekin.”

Mr Pearson said it was thanks to the excellent work undertaken by Tim and his team for the last six years they were able to attract an impressive field of candidates.

“Toby both understands the winning formulae we have established at Wrekin and can equally articulate a path forward that will further enhance our position.”

Toby, his wife Jill, and their children will be joining Wrekin in September.

He said he was absolutely delighted to have been appointed as the new head of Wrekin College, a co-educational independent school for pupils aged 11-18.

“I look forward to joining the Wrekin and Old Hall community, getting to know pupils, staff, and parents, and to building new relationships. It is an immense privilege to have been selected to lead Wrekin College at a time of ambitious development and growth which will see a new Design and Technology Department added to an already enviable campus of specialist departments and facilities.

"Wrekin is a school that encourages all to embrace opportunities and to be ambitious for individual and collective achievements. I am very much looking forward to leading this next stage of its continuing success."

Mr Firth said he felt it was the right time to make the move having arrived at Wrekin College in 2016 with a development plan which had not only extended the available facilities but has seen records broken both in numbers of pupils on roll and GCSE and A Level exam results.

“From the day of my first interview for the role of head, I have been impressed with the Wrekin community. The willingness to embrace change and push boundaries has created a positive, strong, and stable environment for staff, pupils and parents. It means a headteacher can be ambitious in what they look to achieve with a school. I believe Toby will continue to build on the success Wrekin can already be rightly proud of."