Ampleforth College has appointed its first lay Head. David Lambon
joins from St Malachy's College Belfast, and will take over in September
2014.David who is 46, has a proven ability to achieve high standards, improving GCSE results by 10% at St Malachy's and helping St Mary's Grammar School in Magherafelt win the Sunday Times Northern Ireland School of the Year in 2009 during his seven-year tenure.
A trained engineer and mathematician, he also has an MBA in School Leadership and Management and worked as an engineer in France and Germany before becoming a teacher.
He will be supported by a strong team, which includes the College's first female Deputy Head, Deirdre Rowe, and replaces Fr Gabriel Everitt, who announced his retirement as Headmaster last October after 10 highly successful years in the role.
Fr Gabriel leaves the College staff after 20 years with an excellent ISI report
delivered in 2013.
Abbot Cuthbert Madden, the Chair of Governors, said: "The recruitment of the College's first professional lay Head was a big step, but in David we are confident we have found an exceptional teacher and leader with a strong record of commitment to, and achievement in, Catholic education, who will work with the community to retain the school's Benedictine character, and will take the College to new levels of success."
David said: "It is a real privilege to be asked to be Ampleforth's first lay head. Having already seen the strength of Ampleforth's Benedictine ethos, my role will be to build on this, and the school's many other strengths. I'm really looking forward to getting to know the staff, pupils and parents, as well as the monastic community."
A keen triathlete, David (46) will be supported by his wife, Sasha, also a teacher and currently Head of French at Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School in Belfast. The couple have two grown-up sons.
* For more information see: http://www.ampleforth.org.uk