THE headmaster at Wellington Prep School is leaving at the end of this academic year, after ten years.

Adam Gibson was educated at Wellington School and returned to lead the prep school in September 2010. He will leave Wellington at the end of the summer term to take up a new role as Head of Prep at the prestigious Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.

Adam said: “My time at the helm of the prep school has been an absolute privilege and an opportunity I could never have imagined when I left Wellington School as an 18-year-old.

“To have found myself at my old school – a school for which I have a deep affection – has always meant more to me than any other comparable role could ever have done.

“During my time at Wellington School it has been a privilege to help to deliver an outstanding prep education and to help shape the school’s ethos and values.”

Adam was educated at Southampton, Loughborough and Cambridge universities. He developed information systems for healthcare providers and worked in the UK and Australia before joining the teaching profession in his late 20s.

Wellington is Adam’s second prep school headship and he and his wife Angela and their two children have thrown themselves into life at the school.

He said: “The school is a great community and can rightly be described as a family. Wellington, as a town and as a school, has been very good to us and we will be eternally grateful to everyone – children and adults alike.”

Wellington School’s chairman of governors Anna Govey said: “Adam’s commitment to the prep school has been outstanding over a decade. He has been instrumental in re-structuring the school, incorporating our transitional prep year into the school, and making the successful re-brand from junior to prep school.

“He has implemented some outstanding academic standards,

launched the nursery school and overseen the purchase, development and success of our forest school and outdoor learning programme.

Headmaster of Wellington School Eugene du Toit said: “Adam has served Wellington Prep School with great loyalty and dedication. He has set the highest of standards to both pupils and staff but has led with compassion and empathy.

“We will miss Adam but we congratulate him on his appointment and celebrate his success. The summer term will see the school community appropriately recognising Adam’s excellent service.”

Mr du Toit added: “The long-term strategy for the school includes further integrating the prep and senior schools into a single whole-school model. The board of governors and I have begun the process of searching for the next prep head and we anticipate confirming Adam’s replacement by the end of this term"