Cheltenham College in Gloucestershire has appointed Chris Townsend its next head of college, taking up the post the end of next year’s spring term, replacing Nicola Huggett, So Glos has reported.

Huggett, who has been head of the college since 2018, is moving into a new role overseas.

Cheltenham College is a boarding and day school for pupils aged 13 to 18.

Townsend has 30 years’ experience in the independent school sector. He is a former first-class cricketer who was educated at Dean Close School in Cheltenham, 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 has worked at Felsted School in Essex, where he became deputy head in 2010 and head in 2015.

Townsend said: “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.”

William Straker-Nesbit, president of the Cheltenham College council, commented: “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.”