USUALLY, Thurrock Council is quite upbeat when commenting about school Ofsted reports. However, there was a palpable change in mood in their response to the report on Ormiston Park Academy.
Ormiston Park Academy in Aveley has been told it requires improvement in all five areas: leadership and management; behaviour and safety of pupils; quality of teaching; achievement of pupils; and sixth form provision.
Thurrock Council leader and education portfolio holder, Cllr John Kent, said: “It is always disappointing when a school slips, all the more so when the recovery is not as fast as we would hope.
“The council and our schools have agreed a target of all of them being judged as good or outstanding by the end of next year, 2016.
“Thurrock Council cares about every school and every child in the borough and is more than willing to work with and support each and every one where needed.
“There are a number of positive signs in the report and we will be seeking assurances from the academy’s sponsor and the Regional Schools Commissioner that further effective support and monitoring is put into the school so it can make accelerated progress.”
A spokesperson for Ormiston Park Academy said:
“Every day it is our priority to deliver a fantastic education for students at Ormiston Park Academy.
“Our new leadership team is having a positive impact and the school is also benefitting from the expertise of a new Executive Head. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are absolutely committed to driving improvement.
“We look forward to continuing to build on the progress that Ofsted recognises, across the rest of this academic year and beyond. We are confident that this, along with the new building we have opened, will attract pupils to the school.”
