A Wiltshire secondary school has unveiled its new headteacher.

Sheldon School in Chippenham has confirmed Peter Lynch, currently headteacher at Bradley Stoke school in Bristol, will take charge from September.

He will replace Neil Spurdell, who is retiring after 11 years at Sheldon School and more than 30 years in education.

Mr Lynch said: “It is a great privilege to take over from Mr Spurdell. He left a lasting legacy and had significant impact. I wish him all the best in his retirement.

“I am extremely excited about working alongside my leadership team, staff and students to ensure that Sheldon is the leading school in the local area.

“I was blown away by the family and community feel of the school during my interviews and I am relishing leading the school moving forward.”

He added that he plans to meet with staff, students and parents later this year to talk about their thoughts moving forwards.

Mr Lynch originally trained as a PE teacher before retraining to teach maths. He has worked as a senior leader in Gloucestershire for the last 15 years.

The chair of Sheldon’s governing body, Louise Carver, paid tribute to Mr Spurdell, who “led the school very effectively, navigating significant challenges along the way.”