THURROCK Labour have reacted to the shocking news that, due to issues with the Tory-run Department for Education (DfE), a whole cohort of Thurrock children in Year 6 will be denied the chance to start Orsett Heath Academy in September 2023.
In a statement, Cllr Martin Kerin said:
“The news last week was absolutely shocking. For parents to find out, on the very day that the admissions window opens, that Orsett Heath Academy (OHA) are taking an enforced ‘gap year’ just defies belief. For parents of Year 6 children, this time of year is stressful enough with important choices being made about their children’s education. This news must feel like a punch to the gut, and it simply isn’t good enough. It is especially bad for parents who already have children at the OHA and now face the prospect of their children being educated at different schools.
“As the South West Essex Community Education Trust (SWECET) have made clear, this issue is out of their control. The blame for this lays squarely at the door of the DfE. The national Tory government appears to be mirroring the Thurrock Tory administration in being completely unable to deliver infrastructure projects on time. Thurrock Council must now do everything in its power to support the families affected by this, and ensure that Thurrock children do not pay the price for this Conservative incompetence.”
