"Such a lovely special place and wonderful memories!" Old Tockingtonian
Announcement of New Headmaster
14/01/2026Following our communication to parents in December, we are extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Graeme Thompson as our new Headmaster from September 2026.
Graeme is currently part of the leadership team at Bedales Prep School in Hampshire and will join Tockington Manor School with his wife, Alex, and their three children later this year. “From our first visit here, we felt a huge warmth from the school.” says Graeme. “There was a strong sense of purpose and community, and a real family feel at the core of the school. That’s something that really resonated with us as a family.” Graeme was chosen after a thorough and competitive recruitment process by our Tockington Manor School Board, which included interviews with pupils, staff and leadership.
“Our priority was to find an individual who embodies the Tockington spirit and Graeme not only brings strong professional experience, but also captures the values, warmth and family-centred ethos that make TMS such a special community.” comments James Womersley, Chair of the Board.
Parents and staff had an opportunity to talk to Graeme, hear more about his vision, and experience first-hand the warmth and positivity he already feels for Tockington at an initial meet and greet event this week. Graeme is currently Deputy Head Pastoral at Bedales Prep and Pre-Prep and previously worked as Assistant Head at Dulwich Prep Cranbrook. He is a keen hockey player, enthusiastic amateur artist and an avid reader of historic novels.
The appointment follows the announcement last year by current Headmaster, Stephen Symonds, that he will be retiring from headship, following thirteen happy and successful years leading Tockington Manor School and over two decades as a Headmaster.
Graeme will become only the fifth headmaster in Tockington’s almost 80-year history and takes over from Stephen at an exciting time for our school, which became part of the Clifton College Education Group in 2024. We are looking forward to a smooth transition process which will see Graeme working closely with the current Senior Leadership Team before officially joining us in September 2026. Our top priority during this time of transition will, of course, remain our pupils, ensuring continuity and stability for them.
