ERMYSTED'S Grammar School has announced its new headmaster to succeed David Buckroyd.

Thomas Leslie Ashworth, 48, currently senior deputy head of Reading Boys Selective Grammar School, has been selected to replace Mr Buckroyd, who retires this summer.

Mr Ashworth takes up his duties at the Skipton school at the start of the autumn term.

He is one of the country's top referees, serving on the Rugby Union's panel of 40 senior referees and has handled European Cup and Conference games in France and Italy, as well as Pilkington Cup and National League fixtures.

He emerged successful from a surprisingly small number of initial applicants - 36 - against well over 100 when Mr Buckroyd was appointed.

The candidates were reduced to a short list of six high quality men who, after interviews by the staffing committee on Friday, were further reduced to three. They were again interviewed on Saturday in the presence of the full governing body. Mr Ashworth emerged as the runaway favourite, although not quite unanimously supported.

Educated at Birkenhead Institute, London University (where he studied mathematics) and Liverpool University (where he earned an MSc in methods of applied mathematics), his first teaching post was at the independent Birkenhead School, where he taught maths and games from 1973 to 1983.

He then moved to Ripon Grammar, which, like Ermysted's, is a selective school, though mixed.

There he was head of maths and again taught games before moving on to his present post at Reading in 1988. He is also an examiner for GCSE and A level examinations.

His interests are rugby union, philately (stamp collecting), cricket and travel. Married for 18 years he has two daughters aged 12 and 15.

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