The King's School have kicked off the new school year with the appointment of a new academic deputy head.

Alex Smith (pictured) joins the iconic Gloucester school following a varied career that has taken him across the country.

Born in Newcastle, Mr Smith attended University in Cambridge before starting his teaching career in London.

A keen squash player and long distance runner, he admits to having a competitive spirit.

He is also father to two boys under the age of three and has revealed he is currently learning as many facts about trains in order to keep up with his eldest child's latest obsession.

Speaking on his appointment, Mr Smith said: "it is a pleasure to work in a sector with such dedicated staff and talented pupils."

"King's has a real strength in nurturing pupils' individual passions and this, together with its historic tradition and its strong sense of community, is what appealed to me about the school.

"I hope to be able to continue to foster this atmosphere and help further drive its success as one of the UK's leading independent schools."

For more information about The King's School Gloucester, visit https://www.thekingsschool.co.uk/ or call 01452 337 337.