Timothy Roderick Hands (born 30 March 1956) is an English

schoolmaster A schoolmaster, or simply master, is a male school teacher. The usage first occurred in England in the Late Middle Ages and early modern period. At that time, most schools were one-room or two-room schools and had only one or two such teacher ...

and writer. Previously the Master of

Magdalen College School, Oxford Magdalen College School (MCS) is a private day school in the British public school tradition located in Oxford, England, for boys aged seven to eighteen and for girls in the sixth form (i.e. ages sixteen to eighteen). It was founded by Willia ...

, he was the Headmaster of

Winchester College Winchester College is an English Public school (United Kingdom), public school (a long-established fee-charging boarding school for pupils aged 13–18) with some provision for day school, day attendees, in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It wa ...

until August 2023.'HANDS, Timothy Roderick’, Who’s Who 2013, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 2013, online edn Oxford University Press” : UK Who's Who
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Education and early life

Timothy Roderick Hands was born into a family of schoolteachers. His father, Rory K. Hands, founded Chiswick Comprehensive School in 1968. Hands was educated in the state sector, at

Emanuel School Emanuel School is a private, co-educational day school in Battersea, south-west London. The school was founded in 1594 by Anne Sackville, Lady Dacre and Queen Elizabeth I and today occupies a 12-acre (4.9 ha) site close to Clapham Junction ...

in London, and later studied the violin at the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a music school, music and drama school located in the City of London, England. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz al ...

, before reading English at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public university, public research university in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of George IV of the United Kingdom, King George IV ...

, where he also gained a qualification in Theology. He then became a graduate student at

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

, where he was senior scholar at St Catherine’s and then

Oriel College Oriel College () is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in Oxford, England. Located in Oriel Square, the college has the distinction of being the oldest royal foundation in Oxford (a title formerly claimed by University College, ...

Career

Hands was a Lecturer in English at

before becoming a housemaster at the King’s School, Canterbury, and then Second Master at

Whitgift School Whitgift School is an independent day school with limited boarding in South Croydon, London. Along with Trinity School of John Whitgift and Old Palace School it is owned by the Whitgift Foundation, a charitable trust. The school was prev ...

. In 1997, he became Headmaster of

The Portsmouth Grammar School The Portsmouth Grammar School (PGS) is a co-educational private day school in Portsmouth, England, located in the historic part of Portsmouth. It was founded in 1732 as a boys' school, and is located on Portsmouth High Street. History In 1732 ...

, before moving in January 2008 to Magdalen College School as its 61st Master. Hands has appeared as a spokesman for the independent sector on educational matters, especially partnership between the sectors, and university admissions. He was elected to the Committee of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference in 2003, becoming chairman of its University Committee one year later, and serving in that capacity for seven years. In 2012, he was elected as Chairman of the Conference for 2013-14. He became Headmaster of

in September 2016. In March 2022, it was announced that he would retire in August 2023.

Publications

Hands has written books on

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from the English-speaking world. The English language has developed over more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a set of Anglo-Frisian languages, Anglo-Frisian d ...

, especially on

Thomas Hardy Thomas Hardy (2 June 1840 – 11 January 1928) was an English novelist and poet. A Literary realism, Victorian realist in the tradition of George Eliot, he was influenced both in his novels and in his poetry by Romanticism, including the poetry ...

. These include ''A Hardy Chronology'', ''Thomas Hardy: Distracted Preacher?'', and the Hardy volume in Macmillan's "Writers in their Time" series. He contributes to other books about Hardy including the Oxford Reader's Guide and the Ashgate Companion."The Ashgate Research Companion to Thomas Hardy" ed. Rosmarie Morgan (London: Ashgate,2010) In 2021, he wrote an illustrated guide to Winchester College's heritage, ''A Winchester A–Z''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hands, Timothy 1956 births Living people Alumni of King's College London Alumni of St Catherine's College, Oxford Alumni of Oriel College, Oxford Headmasters of Winchester College Fellows of King's College London Masters of Magdalen College School, Oxford