A HEADTEACHER who helped a student from one of the country’s poorest areas secure a place at the world famous Eton College will lead Bolton’s newest school.

David Crosby has been appointed principal designate of King’s Leadership Academy which will open in in Bolton in this September.

He made national headlines in December, 2017 after helping a student, who lived in one of the most deprived areas of the country to secure a scholarship to Eton College.

King’s Leadership Academy will open in Great Lever to create more secondary school places in Bolton.

It is one of a number of King’s Leadership Academies to have been opened by The Great Schools Trust, which aims to “develop the highest aspirations and ambitions of all our students”.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Crosby successfully led a trust-wide team in helping ten students from the academies gain sixth form scholarships, which include board and tuition, at some of the best independent schools in the country – including one young person who is now studying at Eton College.

He said: “‘I am honoured to be appointed founding principal of the trust’s new academy. I share the Great Schools Trust belief that every child can succeed and that great teaching is the key to this success.

“As educators, we have a duty to develop a child’s intellectual capital. However, we must also build their social and cultural capital. In doing this, we will create successful citizens who can play an active role in their own and the wider community. At King’s Leadership Academy Bolton, we will have a character driven education with the highest expectations for all’.

Mr Crosby is now meeting children ­— and their parents ­— who are due to start the new school this year.

Irfan Umarji has been appointed as the vice-principal.

Prior to his appointment, he supported the development of two new schools in the North West Both schools are now in the top one per cent of best performing schools in England.

He was also part of the team that won the 2017 Educate Award where they were recognised as leadership team of the year.

Mr Umarji was raised in Bolton and attended Hayward School before studying his computer network engineering degree in Sheffield.

He then pursued his career in education where he transitioned in to a senior leadership role at an early stage of his career.

Mr Umarji has also achieved a National Professional Qualification in Headship (NPQH) as well as 10 years of leadership experience in high performing schools.

He said, ‘I am privileged to be part of an organisation that can provide the best form of education to every child, irrespective of their contextual background. I share the same vision as the Great Schools Trust, that there is no ceiling to a child’s intelligence and that every child has the opportunity to make a positive contribution, whether locally or globally, for the betterment of all humanity.

“I also believe in the character through Leadership philosophy, as I feel that this is the lever to the upward social mobility in the communities we live in.”

The school will open in high quality temporary classrooms in Great Lever in September, with a new purpose built school set to open in the area within the next three years.

This year, 180 pupils will be admitted to the school with a maximum of 540 pupils aged 11 to 16 being educated in the temporary buildings by September 2021.

King’s Leadership has been nationally recognised for its personal development work with pupils.

And it’s Warrington school is now in the top four per cent of non-selective schools based on education.

The school is one of two being built.

A 420-place primary school will open in September 2020, again as part of plans to meet an urgent need for classroom places.

Both schools would be built on land off Freshfield Avenue, Great Lever.

The primary school, the working name of which is Great Lever Primary School, would be opened by Vantage Academy Trust, which governs the outstanding SS Simon and Jude’s School in Great Lever.

From 2009 to 2017 Bolton has seen a huge rise in the demand for school places ­— with Bolton’s primary schools currently accommodating around 5,000 additional primary school places than ten years ago. These pupils are now moving on to secondary school, placing pressures on classroom places.

Plans to build housing developments could put further pressure on schools places.