New headmaster looks forward to taking the top job

He will be succeeding Peter Jones who is retiring in August after devoting 26 years to the school.

Mr Kilbride, aged 40, has taught at both mainstream and state schools was most recently deputy headmaster of Bethany School in Kent

The father-of-three, who is married to wife Emma, said he was looking forward to taking up his new position.

During a visit to Stourbridge, he said: "I am delighted to be here once more. I am very excited about next September, and building on the firm foundations made by Peter Jones and his predecessors.

"I look forward to joining a superb body of teaching staff and making my contribution to the on-going achievements of the pupils as we prepare them for the rigors of the academic curriculum and celebrate their development through sport and the performing arts."

Mr Kilbride went to a British Army school in Germany before returning to England to read modern history at Magdalen College, Oxford and then qualified as a teacher in Birmingham.

Mr Jones, 55, joined Old Swinford Hospital in 1988 as Director of Sport and took responsibility for the development of rugby in 1989. Mr Jones has also been a day housemaster, staff governor, boarding tutor and member of the senior management team. In 2001, he was appointed deputy headmaster. He has been headmaster for the past eight years.

During his time at the school, which was founded in 1667, he has overseen the successful completion of a £10.5million expansion, which included a new boarding house, new teaching block and arts centre which was opened in 2010.

Mr Jones said: "I have had a wonderful 26 years at Old Swinford, it has been an enormous privilege and honour to have been part of a very special and highly successful community.

"To end my career as an extremely proud headmaster means so much to me."