THURROCK Council Leader and education portfolio holder Cllr John Kent says he is “confident the borough’s academies will bounce back” after the disappointment of this summer’s results.
Cllr Kent said: “I don’t want to belittle the issue by calling it a ‘blip’ but on the other hand I don’t want to blow it out of all proportion.
“Likewise I don’t want to go looking for excuses. It is disappointing, but perhaps it is a reminder that we can’t take our foot off the pedal and we must all constantly maintain our focus on improvement.
“On the other hand I must also take this opportunity to congratulate the Grays Convent School – the only non-academy secondary school in Thurrock – for its improved results.”
Cllr Kent said: “I know the council will continue to work with and support every school in Thurrock.
“I am confident the borough’s independent academies will bounce back. They are working towards that aim as is the council and every single school in the borough – not just the secondaries and not just the academies.”
Cllr Kent’s comments follow Minister of State at the Department for Education, Nick Gibb’s comments on the national results from this summer.
He said they were subject to further change following the first release, but that parents needed to know in order to make informed choices of their secondary school for next summer.
The deadline for applying for secondary school places is the end of the month (31 October) and applications can be made through the council’s website thurrock.gov.uk
Cllr Kent said: “While it is easy to simply criticise, we should also all remember that these results are still subject to change and there are too many young people who still do not have their final grades, making it difficult to access post-16 education and training.
“We must also consider the impact on staff morale as teachers experience a significant loss of confidence in their predictions of student outcomes.
“It is important that, as well as the organisations working hard to help and support each other, we do not lose sight of how individuals can be hit too.”
