A SCHOOL in Witham has named one of its former pupils as its new principal.

Leanne Abbott-Jones, the current vice principal at Maltings Academy, will step into the job from the second half of the summer term.

She will be working closely with Michelle Hughes, who continues in her role as executive principal.

Raised in Witham and a former Maltings Academy student, Ms Abbott-Jones knows the Maltings community well.

After completing a degree in PE at the University of Brighton, she began her teaching career at Peacehaven Community School, where she acquired her Qualifying Teaching Status (QTS) from the University of Sussex.

Ms Abbott-Jones was a foundational member of the Ofsted-outstanding Sir Isaac Newton Academy in East London.

After rising through the ranks to vice principal in 2019, she became the vice principal for behaviour and inclusion at Ormiston Rivers Academy in Burnham-on-Crouch.

September 2023 saw her moving to Maltings Academy as the senior vice principal.

Ms Abbott-Jones said: "I feel both pleased and privileged to be appointed as principal of Maltings.

"Having grown up in the area and attended Maltings, I’m teaching students of people in the community that I knew, so in many ways it feels like coming home.

"I’m looking forward to the challenge of leading the school and ensuring that every student is equipped to follow their aspirations and goals, with the support of a well-rounded education at Maltings."

Her appointment has been celebrated by key figures including Johanna Thompson, regional education director at the Academies Enterprise Trust, which runs Maltings Academy.

She said: "We’re absolutely delighted to have appointed Leanne as our new principal - she brings real energy and passion to the role.

"Coming from the Witham area, she knows the community inside and out and will be a wonderful asset to the school as our new principal."