New head David Sibson said he hopes to bring “continuity and stability” to St Francis School after being appointed the fourth man to lead the Pewsey prep school in four years.

He has taken over from Nick Brodrick who was caretaker head for a year following the sudden departure of his predecessor Basil Brown in July 2011.

For the past 14 years Mr Sibson has been at Ranby House School, the prep school to Worksop College in Nottinghamshire, where he was deputy head for ten years and head for the last four years.

Mr Sibson, 45, said he was pleased to have taken over as head at St Francis and said he liked “the family and friendly feel” of his new school.

Mr Sibson, who has a teenage son and daughter, said he needed time to settle in before even considering any changes.

“The great thing about this school is the breadth of opportunity for the pupils because it is not just an academic hothouse, it offers them wonderful opportunities for sport, drama and art as well.”