Prince George's secondary school appoints new headteacher weeks before youngster is due to start

Prince George's new school has appointed a new headteacher just weeks before the youngster is due to start his education there.It was announced last week that George, 12, will follow in the footsteps of his father and enrol at the esteemed all-boys college after he turns 13 this summer.But the institution has been searching for its latest headmaster after Simon Henderson, who became the youngest head of Eton when appointed at 39 in 2015, announced last month that he would depart after more than a decade leading the institution.Alastair Chirnside, who had been earmarked as the favourite for the role, has been announced as his successor. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say The former King's Scholar, 50, who serves as warden at St Edward's School in Oxford, has a notoriously firm approach to technology, reinstating landlines in boarding houses and prohibiting mobile phones on weekdays for most students.In a rather nostalgic touch, though, he had landlines reinstalled in the school's boarding houses, offering pupils an alternative means of communication.Mr Chirnside will assume his position before George begins his education there in September.Provost of Eton College, Sir Nicholas Coleridge, said Mr Chirnside had a sharp mind and warm personality.The institution said he had been chosen because of his concern for pastoral care and commitment to the school's partnership work and public benefit.Eton added that he had been credited with making a major impact at the institutions which he has served. At St Edward’s he has built on the work of his predecessors. His leadership has been very well regarded and widely appreciated.During his interviews and discussions with the fellows and the leadership team, Alastair impressed the groups he met with his clarity of thought and his attention to detail, the school said.He placed particular emphasis on academic and co-curricular excellence and demonstrated his deep concern for pastoral care and his commitment to Eton’s programmes for partnership work and public benefit. LATEST ROYAL NEWSKing Charles hails 'resilience and strength of Venezuelans' as he issues official statementWilliam pictured for first time since eye-watering £1.2b royal wealth revealedKing Charles will now 'protect the multi-faith nation' as new role definedWe look forward to welcoming Alastair, his wife, Zannah, and their daughters, Mary and Lizzie, back to Eton next year.Before embarking on his teaching career, Mr Chirnside spent five years working in the City as a financial analyst and fund manager at Schroders.His academic pedigree is formidable. During his time at Eton, he rose to become captain of the school, the institution's most senior pupil position.He subsequently read Classics and Modern Languages at Merton College, Oxford, where he achieved a double First.The father of two then made the unusual decision to leave the lucrative world of finance and return to Eton as an assistant master, known in the school's distinctive parlance as a beak.He later moved to Harrow, where he held positions as director of studies and housemaster, before assuming the wardenship at St Edward's in 2021.Responding to his appointment, Mr Chirnside said: I am greatly looking forward to returning to the school which I loved as a boy and in which I started my career as a teacher.Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter