Why should we settle for an average university when we can push students to go onto the best ones? Every student has the potential and every student has the environment to exercise that potential, so why? Why isn’t that six percent of students attending “good” universities in Thurrock, sixty?
But staff, students and a number of organisations are planning to make big changes at the island. In this, the first of many films, YT speaks to deputy head, Lesley Durso and some of the pupils as to what they are planning to do.
Many of the students will have seen her steely eyed competitive streak on ITV’s “I’m a celebrity, get me out of here.” but in Thurrock Fatima is best known for her athletic prowess in the eighties where she won two olympic medals, a world championship and broke the world record in 1986.
THE PRINCIPAL of Palmer’s College, Mark Vinall has hit back at concerns that only 6% of students at the Chadwell Road college go on to “good” univeristies.
Orsett Conservative councillor, Mike Revell challenged education bosses at Thurrock Council last week over the low numbers of students going to top universities. In 2009-10, no Thurrock student went up to either Oxford or Cambridge and all other stats see Thurrock languishing near the bottom of the league.
THURROCK Young Musician of the Year, Aisling Larkin, will be performing at this year’s Civic Dinner hosted by the Mayor, councillor Charles Curtis.
Here is a fascinating lesson which is a bit like a Rolf Harris painting. At the beginning, we are not sure how it will all come together but as the lesson progresses, the year 8 students “get it”
The Grays School pupil, Kieran Lintott, 13, from Grays said: “Today has been really fun, although I admit I was a bit apprehensive before the costume design workshop, once we got going I really enjoyed it. It’s helped me recognise what I really enjoy doing which will be helpful when it comes to choosing my GCSE options soon.”
The highly acclaimed theatre group, which specialise in performing shows about sustainability and the environment, will be performing two different shows — Car-less Talk for the primaries and The Man from the Council for secondary school students.
South Essex College of Further and Higher Education has appointed Angela O’Donoghue as its new Principal and Chief Executive. Ms O’Donoghue, who is currently Principal of Sunderland College, is expected to begin her new role in August, ready for the start of the next academic year.
IF THERE was one teacher who impressed education minister Michael Gove, above all others, when he came to visit last year, it was maths teacher, Grainne Maclaughlin.
THERE IS ONE thing talking about plans for a new building but now Ormiston Park have a date for when the first spade hits the ground (March 2012) and when the new school should be opened (April 2013).
He added: “In 2011, 520 of Palmer’s students progressed to university, with 32 going to the Russell group. Unsurprisingly the most popular destinations were local with 40 choosing the University of Greenwich followed by 33 progressing to ARU and 26 going to Essex.”
Pupils at the Convent sit an average 9.4 GCSEs in a range of subjects, these are well established, recognised qualifications and moreover each pupil takes a GCSE in Religious Studies, a humanities subject not included in the statistics for the English Baccalaureate.
Thameside Junior School bikers were in celebratory mood on Tuesday (17 January) when Katie Van Dop, Thurrock Council’s Sustrans Bike It officer joined them to open a brand new 20-stand bike shed funded by the Big Lottery under the Active Travel Consortium.
STUDENTS from South Essex College made an impression on the bosses at DP World with a series of marketing presentations.
The presentations were part of the Thurrock Council backed Next Top Boss initiative which aims to get the best out of the young entrepreneurs in the borough.
PRINCIPAL of Ockendon Academy, Barbara King is always proud to declare that “They do things differently at the Ockendon Academy” and here is a fantastic example.
Year 7 students who have gained enough merit points are invited to afternoon tea in the principal’s office. There they pour tea, have sandwiches and cake, all off the best china and spend some time discussing their first year at the academy.
Trips to the well-known Auschwitz work camp and the nearby Birkenau death camp as well as the Place Bohaterow — Deportation Square — highlighted the worst of human behaviour, while a visit to the factory run by Oskar Schindler showed how hope can shine through.
Connecting classrooms builds lasting partnerships between groups of schools in the UK and around the world. Through these partnerships, the programme develops trust and understanding between people in different societies, creating a safer and more connected world for the future. By bringing an international dimension to their learning, they will enable young people to develop the skills and cultural awareness they need to become active global citizens, which will prepare them for life and work in a global society.
Critics may think it all looks a bit set up but we assure you that it is not. And to be fair, you will see that one of the brightest pupils, who we thought was a cert to say Oxbridge, doesn’t want to go to university at all.
But the majority do and they will not settle for second best. One student even name checks the Russell Group, the set of universities that include Edinburgh, Durham, York, Exeter, LSE and many more that will look for A’s in their A levels.
“Far from reducing courses in these areas, we will be enhancing and improving them. For example, we will have new and improved brick, engineering and carpentry workshops and will also be able to offer improved provision of courses to local employers.
Commenting on the concerns, local Lib Dem campaigner Claire Jones said: “People I have spoken to across Thurrock have expressed their concerned that these courses will be dropped.”With youth unemployment at the rate it is in the borough, this is no time to be reducing access to vital courses that will assist young people in getting a job.
Proportion of state school pupils going into higher education.
Thurrock is fifth from bottom in the whole country with 49.4%.Proportion of state school pupils going into highly selective universities by local authority.Thurrock is eighth from bottom with 5.7%
Twilight Trails is a scheme that aims to teach the importance of wearing fluorescent and reflective clothing at night in a fun and interactive way.
Around 40 young people from the Harris Academy Chafford Hundred, The Grays School Media Arts College, Grays Convent High School, William Edwards School and Sports College, The Gateway Academy and Treetops School will be joined by others from Inspiration Youth Call, the Thurrock Council’s Youth Service and the Pupil Referral Unit to take part in the Thurrock Diversity Champions Project.
