Shortly after lunch today, Tuesday 19th May, the Headmaster, Fr Moloney gathered the staff to announce the new Headmaster, Mr Chris Lumb, who will take up office in mid-August…
Chris, who was selected as the first lay Headmaster at Clongowes following a rigorous selection process lasting several months, has much experience as Headmaster in boarding schools and in the Jesuit tradition. From 1997 – 2004 he was Assistant Headmaster at Mount St Mary’s, a Jesuit 350 pupil co-educational day and boarding school in Sheffield.
From 2004 – 2012 he was Headmaster of Austin Friars St Monica’s School in Carlisle, a 450 pupil, junior and senior co-educational day school in the Augustinian tradition. From 2012 – 2014 he was Headmaster of St Joseph’s College, Ipswich, a 600 student, junior and senior co-educational boarding and day school in the De La Salle tradition.
Chris, whose career has been marked by the pursuit of high academic standards, the nurturing of Catholic ethos and the support and development of diverse co-curricular opportunities, will join us from Stoke College, Suffolk where he has been on a special assignment as Executive Headmaster since last November.
He has a BSc in Chemistry and an MEd in Science Education from Manchester University and began his teaching career as a Chemistry teacher in 1986 in St Ambrose College, Altrincham, a Christian Brothers 700 pupil boys school.
Chris and his wife Eileen, who plan to live on the Clongowes campus, together with their sons Daniel (16) and Samuel (13) will join us around August 10th. The Board looks forward to welcoming them and supporting them as they integrate into our Clongowes Community and Chris assumes the leadership of the school.
In a letter to the parents Fr Moloney noted that he was particularly pleased that Chris has a deep familiarity with Jesuit spirituality and with Jesuit education from his time in Mt. St. Mary’s in Sheffield. He concluded by wishing him and Eileen, and the two boys, every happiness and success over the coming years as they enter a new era in the evolving history of the school.
