New Rickstones Academy and Maltings Academy to combine to boost education

The leadership of Witham’s two secondary schools is being boosted with the appointment of an executive headteacher and two new heads of academy.

Damian Lee, who has worked at New Rickstones Academy and Maltings Academy over the last 20 years has been appointed as executive headteacher at both sites.

Replacing him as head of school at New Rickstones is Simon Gibbs, who has been at New Rickstones since 2018 as assistant head and deputy head.

Mr Gibbs previously held posts as maths co-ordinator and head of maths at Maltings for five years.

At Maltings, Sherry Zand will become head of school in September, joining from the Harris Federation in London where she has been vice- principal since 2018.

Mr Gibbs said: “I am very excited to start my new role.

“It is a really amazing opportunity to develop staff and students further and drive forward the leadership in an academy I am already experienced in and embedded within.

“It will be privilege to maintain the fantastic culture and ethos we have here and move forward together in the pursuit of excellence.

“This is an opportunity to push the academy on to new levels.”

New Rickstones is set to expand from September 2022 to meet the growing demand for secondary school places in the town.

It will increase its intake from 180 students per year to 240 and see a two-storey extension added to its building.

Mr Gibbs added: “I am excited for the first year of being an oversubscribed school and maintaining that into the future, growing student numbers to meet the expanded capacity our new building will bring.”

Mr Lee said: “Over the course of my last 20 years in Witham, I have had the opportunity to work in both academies with a vast number of students and families.

“I now look forward to drawing on the strengths of both academies so we can develop standards in teaching and learning and the expectations of both students and staff.”

The new roles will take effect from September.