POPULAR Rendcomb College head Roland Martin has announced he is to step down at the end of the academic year.

Mr Martin, who has been at the school since 2011, is leaving as he has agreed to take on a new role at The City of London Freeman’s School in Surrey, where he will work with the City of London Corporation.

The headmaster who earlier this year was named in the ‘Good Schools Guide magazines 10 Heads to Watch’, said it was not an easy decision to step down.

He said: “This has not been a decision that we as a family have taken lightly and such moments always involve complications for all concerned. Nevertheless, this is a unique opportunity and one that suits us as a family very well indeed.

“I feel that we will be leaving a community very much on the up and I am proud of what we have achieved here in recent years.

Roland, a former housemaster at Eton, explained that in the months ahead his priority is to support school governors in finding a replacement to build on the work that has been done at Rendcomb in recent years to ensure a proper handover takes place when he leaves.