A new not-for-profit company jointly owned by local schools and the council has appointed a chief executive.

Ben Spinks said his new role at Barking and Dagenham School Improvement Partnership (BDSIP) was “genuinely exciting”.

The company, which launches in April, was created “to provide headteachers with support to raise standards”, the council says.

Mr Spinks previously served as assistant chief executive of Brent Council and is a former market director at Capita Transformation.

Peter McPartland, the former headteacher of Dagenham Trinity School and chair of BDSIP’s board of directors, said: “I am delighted Ben is joining us at this exciting time and I look forward to working with him.”

Mr Spinks starts his position on January 2.