A TOWN centre academy will fully open its doors this September under brand new leadership.

Livingstone Academy in Bournemouth will be led by principal Loren Tharme and executive principal Natasha Ullah for the next academic year.

This comes following the decision of current principal, Dr Kimberly Elms, to return to her native United States to take up a new opportunity there.

Dr Elms has led the academy since its opening in 2021 and steered it through a complicated move to its campus in Madeira Road, formerly the site of the town’s magistrates’ and coroner’s courts.

The remaining building is expected to be handed over to the school in a matter of weeks.

Executive principal Natasha Ullah is currently head at Magna Academy in Poole. She will continue in that role as well as offering supportive oversight at Livingstone Academy.

She said: “Livingstone Academy will continue to offer an ambitious curriculum using innovative and pioneering approaches to ensure our students are best prepared for the world of work.

“Students' digital literacy is integral to their learning and we are proud to develop this alongside strong academic teaching. I am very much looking forward to working with the team at LAB and with Loren; he has the creative and fresh approach to leadership to match the ethos of the school.”

New principal Loren Tharme said he is “absolutely thrilled” to be taking up the post, his first as head.

“I have been fortunate to visit on a number of occasions since it opened and have been really impressed by the ambition of both pupils and staff,” he said.

“I am already looking forward to September and taking Livingstone on the next stage of its exciting journey.”

Mr Tharme is currently associate principal at Ocean Academy in Poole where he has worked since 2016.

Of the new appointments, regional CEO of Aspirations Academies Trust, David Herbert, said: “These are very exciting times for Livingstone Academy as it prepares to take ownership of its completed new building and we are delighted that the school was heavily oversubscribed once again for next year.

“We are confident that the great work of Dr Elms will be continued under Loren and Natasha. They are both very experienced leaders and committed to the Aspirations’ educational vision and highly experienced in delivering our innovative curriculum.”