Headmaster of Harrogate independent school Ashville College dies aged just 48

Mr Marshall, who had three young children, took over the headship at the Harrogate-based independent school three years ago.

He was the tenth person to hold the position in the school's history and his wife, Kym, joined the teaching staff alongside him while their children Ethan, Emily and Harry became Ashville pupils. Mrs Marshall is currently deputy head of the prep school.

Ashville's chair of governors Jamie Search described Mr Marshall as an 'outstanding leader who has been tragically taken from us far too early' and acting head Elspeth Fisher said it was 'an incredibly sad day for Ashville College and the wider Ashville family'.

Under biochemistry graduate Mr Marshall's leadership, Ashville's pupil numbers have risen to record levels and the school launched a kindergarten franchise in Hong Kong.

The Good Schools Guide rated Ashville as a 'great school' and he also introduced basketball to the sports curriculum, recruiting former NBA player Voise Winters from the US to coach it. Mr Marshall had represented England Under 23 at basketball and captained his University of Birmingham team.

Mr Search added: “Richard joined Ashville following a rigorous interview process and was the unanimous choice of the governing body. That decision proved to be the right one as from the outset he fully immersed himself in Ashville life and focused on the education of our pupils.

“He brought a drive and determination to improve all aspects of Ashville. As a scientist he loved technology and data and the level of detail he delved into was immense, for the betterment of every pupil. He had a good deal of business acumen that is vital for any modern school head and worked tirelessly to maximise the use of every pound.

"Improving the facilities at Ashville was always on his mind and he oversaw the refurbishment of our Sixth Form Centre, two boys' boarding houses and the first phase of the dining room expansion and upgrade project.

“All here at Ashville are absolutely devastated and we will continue to support Kym and the children in any way we can.”