Headmaster's Welcome

Fr Christopher Cann – Interim Executive Head, Stonyhurst; Headmaster, Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall

Fr Christopher Cann has been Headmaster of Stonyhurst St Mary’s Hall since 2022 and is currently serving as Interim Executive Head of Stonyhurst until Mr William Doherty takes up post on 1 May 2026. This is Fr Christopher’s fourth headship within independent boarding and day schools.

Previously, he was Headmaster of Ratcliffe College Preparatory School, and earlier led Leicester Preparatory School and Denstone College Preparatory School.

Fr Christopher holds an MA in French from the University of St Andrews and an MA in Theology from the University of Oxford. A former Anglican priest, he was received into the Catholic Church in 2011 and is now a priest of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.

Dr Alice McNeill – Interim Operational Head, Stonyhurst College; Senior Deputy Head

Dr Alice McNeill  is Senior Deputy Head at Stonyhurst and will serve as Interim Operational Head of Stonyhurst College from 15 February to 30 April 2026, alongside Fr Christopher Cann, pending the arrival of Mr William Doherty.

With over twenty years’ experience in HMC independent co-educational boarding schools, including ten years in senior leadership, Alice specialises in academic improvement and whole-school ethos. She is a serving ISI Inspector and led the most recent ISI inspection at Stonyhurst.

She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge, with research focused on creativity in STEM education.