THE county’s newest school has a new head to take it to a new site.

Chris Cooper is confirmed this week as acting principal of the Robert Owen Vocational School, soon to move from Holme Lacy to the former Hereford School for Boys site Blackfriars Street, Hereford – currently Herefordshire Council’s education offices.

Mr Cooper, previously Director of Learning and Development at the Co-operative College in Manchester, said he was attracted to the “ethical principles” the school offered as a co-operative academy.

“‘By giving all our students a true insight into the world of work, we can harness their curiosity and enthusiasm, integrate their vocational and academic studies and thus get them motivated to gain good GCSE, GCE and other qualifications including the Vocational Baccalaureate,” he said.

Alongside his education work, Mr Cooper has an international reputation as a management consultant working in global, co-operative and mutual sectors. Recently he has run leadership and management programmes in Australia, Cuba, New Zealand, Fiji, Singapore, Malaysia and Europe.

The school opened in September last year in Holme Lacy as a co-operative and an academy offering vocational education, GCSEs and GCEs to 14-19 year olds.  It is funded through the Government’s free school initiative.

It expects to be on site in at Blackfriars Street by September this year.