Ian Cooksey has been appointed new head teacher at Watford Grammar School for Boys.

Mr Cooksey, currently head teacher at Dr Challoner’s High School for Girls, will be officially taking up the post from September 2015.

Mark Allchorn will continue to be acting head teacher at Watford Boys for the remaining academic year and will lead the transition.

Mr Paul Shearring, chairman of the Board of Governors at Watford Boys, said: "We were very impressed with Mr Cooksey’s vision for the future of the school and the unanimous decision of the Governors Appointment Panel reflects the confidence we have in the direction the School is taking and the progress that will be made in the years to come.

"The school has ambitious plans and Mr Cooksey brings the right balance of skills and experiences to lead our school community through into the future."

Mr Cooksey, has been head teacher at Dr Challoner’s High School, Amersham, since 2011. 

During that time Mr Cooksey’s primary focus was on the development of teaching and learning to ensure outstanding provision across all subject areas. 

Mr Cooksey said: "It is with great pride that I take up the mantle of being the 27th headmaster at Watford Grammar School for Boys.

"Leading such a successful school is a tremendous responsibility and a significant honour. It is also a delight. During the course of the recruitment process, I shared with the governors my vision for the school’s development over the next few years.

"True to the founding values of the school, our educational philosophy will continue to be defined through creating successful lifelong learners who will always positively impact the world around them.

"We have a national reputation for excellence in all areas and I look forward to building on that excellence. However, we are not, and will not become, simply an academic hot-house where pressures for exam success dominate all of school life and erode our student’s self-esteem.

"It is my belief that young people flourish most successfully in an atmosphere of acceptance which allows them to explore the person they can become, to develop into the best that they can be."