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

schoolmaster The word schoolmaster, or simply master, refers to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British independent schools, both secondary and preparatory, and a few Indian boarding schools (such as The Doon School) that were modelled after B ...

and writer. Previously the Master of

Magdalen College School, Oxford Magdalen College School (MCS) is a public school (English independent day school) in Oxford, England, for boys aged seven to eighteen and for girls in the sixth form. It was founded by William Waynflete about 1480 as part of Magdalen College, ...

, he is now the headmaster of

Winchester College Winchester College is a public school (fee-charging independent day and boarding school) in Winchester, Hampshire, England. It was founded by William of Wykeham in 1382 and has existed in its present location ever since. It is the oldest of the ...

.'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

Hands comes from a family of schoolteachers. He was educated in the state sector, at

Emanuel School Emanuel School is an independent, 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 occupies a 12-acre (4.9 ha) site close to Clapham Junction ra ...

in London, and later studied the violin at the

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

, before reading English at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

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

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...

, 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, wh ...

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 ("He who perseveres, conquers") , established = , closed = , type = Independent school , religious_affiliation = Church of England , president = , head_label = Head Master , head = Christopher Ramsey , c ...

. In 1997 he became Headmaster of

The Portsmouth Grammar School The Portsmouth Grammar School is a co-educational Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day school in Portsmouth, England, located in the historic part of Portsmouth. It was founded in 1732 as a boys' school and is locat ...

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 Dr Hands will retire in August 2023.

Publications

Hands has written books on

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

, especially on

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

. These include ''A Hardy Chronology'', ''Thomas Hardy: Distracted Preacher?'', and the Hardy volume in

Macmillan MacMillan, Macmillan, McMillen or McMillan may refer to: People * McMillan (surname) * Clan MacMillan, a Highland Scottish clan * Harold Macmillan, British statesman and politician * James MacMillan, Scottish composer * William Duncan MacMillan ...

's "Writers in their Time" series. He contributes to other books about Hardy including the Oxford Reader's Guide and the

Ashgate Ashgate Publishing was an academic book and journal publisher based in Farnham (Surrey, United Kingdom). It was established in 1967 and specialised in the social sciences, arts, humanities and professional practice. It had an American office in ...

Companion."The Ashgate Research Companion to Thomas Hardy" ed. Rosmarie Morgan (London: Ashgate,2010)

Personal life

Hands is married to Jane, a London solicitor, and they have two children.

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