STONAR School in Atworth will welcome its first male headteacher next month, after 100 years in existence.

Deputy head Toby Nutt will step up to lead the independent day and boarding school from next month, after six years at the school, near Melksham.

He said: “I am delighted and excited to be taking on the role of head at Stonar. To be asked to lead such a wonderful community is a huge honour.

“Stonar has huge potential as an organisation.

“It has a unique ethos: a can-do attitude. Pupils approach all aspects of school life in a positive way.

“They never say they can’t do something; it’s an unwritten code.”

Mr Nutt takes the role just as relations between staff and pupils were reported as exceptional, in an inspection by the Indepen-dent Schools Inspectorate.

He said: “At Stonar, it is genuinely possible for staff to know and support each and every pupil and individually acknowledge their unique talents.

“This is the key to effective personal development. If we can do this, then academic success is inevitable.”

He is not fazed at being the first man to lead the school, which teaches girls aged two to 18 and boys from two to 11.

He said: “It is not really relevant. Leaders and role models are not gender- specific. The head is a key role in any school, but at Stonar there are many excellent role models, both staff and older pupils.”

Mr Nutt joined Stonar from the Tanglin Trust School in Singapore, one of the world’s leading international schools.

Before working in South East Asia, he had senior leadership roles, including as housemaster, head of biology and a sixth form head at Reading Blue Coat School, a leading independent school.