The new principal for Ely College has been named after it was revealed that Richard Spencer was stepping up as executive principal.

The new principal for Ely College has been named after it was revealed that Richard Spencer was stepping up as executive principal.

The east Cambridgeshire school has appointed father-of-two Simon Warburton to work alongside Mr Spencer from September.

Mr Warburton is an experienced senior leader, having held deputy head roles at Hitchin Boys' School and Impington Village College. Simon worked for 15 years in schools across Hertfordshire, before moving to Impington Village College five years ago.

He said: 'I am thrilled to have been appointed as college principal of Ely College for September.

'The huge progress made by Mr Spencer, his senior team, all the staff, students, parents and trustees means that I will be leading a community who are rightly incredibly proud of their school.'

Mr Spencer said: 'He [Mr Warburton] brings with him a wealth of experience, fresh ideas and energy.

'This is a very exciting time to be a part of Ely College and I am very much looking forward to delivering new developments alongside him over the next few years.

'Thank you to all staff, parents and carers for your support and encouragement so far and I hope you will join me in welcoming Mr Warburton to our community.'

Last year we reported the school is a stark contrast to the struggling one that was slammed by Ofsted when it was placed in special measures in 2016.

Inspectors now rank the secondary academy and its sixth form - Bishop Laney - as good with outstanding leadership.

Mr Spencer said: 'Should no suitable applicants come forward, I will stay in place until we find someone who we are certain will be the right fit for the college.

'This is a very exciting time to be a part of Ely College and I am looking forward to working on delivering exciting developments alongside the new Principal in September.

'Thank you all for your support and encouragement over the last few years as we built an academy that provides the best possible education for the students in our care.'

The former Ofsted inspector explained last year how in his first role as head he was determined to turn things around.

'In 2015 it was about as broken as a school could get,' he said. 'There was a lot of negativity and it was a difficult situation.'