A NEW headteacher has been appointed at Chancellor’s School in Brookmans Park.

David Croston is currently deputy head at Friern Barnet School, but will join the Pine Grove secondary in January.

He will build on the work of executive headteacher Josephine Valentine and associate head Geoff Butler, who are currently leading the school following the departure of Stuart Phillips.

Mr Croston said: “It is a privilege to be appointed as headteacher for Chancellor’s.

“I am very much looking forward to working with the students, staff, parents and governors to provide an outstanding educational experience that delivers the academic outcomes crucial for setting its students on the path to success.”

Mr Croston said he wanted to draw on his own experiences as a father, and bring those skills to the school.

“As a parent, I want my children to develop an enjoyment of learning and a desire to learn that will stay with them for life,” he said.

“I also want to be proud of the sort of person that they become.”

He added: “I am absolutely focused on working to achieve these fundamental goals for the families of Chancellor’s.”

A graduate of Warwick University, where he specialised in mathematics, Mr Croston has previously held posts at Mill Hill County High School in Barnet and William Ellis School in Camden, before his most recent position at Friern Barnet.

The married father-of-two lives in St Albans and enjoys sport, cinema, theatre and travel.

Although his appointment does not begin until the new year, Mr Croston will be at the school’s open evening for prospective parents and students tomorrow (Thursday) from 6pm.

He added: “I am looking forward to meeting both new and established members of the Chancellor’s School community during the evening and having opportunity to talk to as many as possible.”