WE HAVE now covered six open evening over the last two weeks. They have all been fantastic and a great feat of organisation and presentation. But at the heart of most of the event is the testimony of students. Their speeches don't make the final cut of the Open Evening films but we like to find time to run them.
NO WONDER THE prospective parents and pupils were flocking in. Trips to China, NYC, Nasa at Alabama and the rainforests to name but a few. But the core reason is the fact that the schoools exam results continue to improve and improve.
A THURROCK primary school has been branded as "heartless" by parents for denying their children the chance to audition for Sky TV's "Got to Dance" minutes before they were due to go on.
Colin Nell's football wizardry has been used in numerous high profile media campaigns, feature films. However Colin took time out to visit the students at St Clere's school to show them a trick or two.
SOMETIMES that is the best way and that is what headteacher at Grays School and Media Arts College decided to do. Mrs Ibeji let four students: two year 7 students and two students who have gone on to college address the prospective parents and pupils at the open evening at the Hathaway Road school.
IF THERE is one thing that stands out as you walk around Ockendon Academy, then it is the light. And that light, airy, fresh and positive environment seems appropriate as this is a school where you can find positivity everywhere. That "Can do nature" is the underlying theme of principal Barbara King's speech to parents but there is also a tremendous excitement around the school as several of its key plans for the future are steadily falling into place.
A NEW NAME, A NEW SIXTH FORM and a new year ahead. There is a real feel that anything is possible at the Harris Academy. Perhaps that is why parents flocked to the school at the open evening to see what was on offer.The success story is wrapped around the fantastic results but what is at the heart of the school and is the centre-piece of executive head, Dr Chris Tomlinson's speech is the inclusivity at the school.
Cllr Gerrish has laid stress on partnership working and so has already received a much warmer welcome. Then again it could not have got any worse. However, any councillor that can shine when taking on the Central Services clearly has a chance to enhance the council's reputation with respect to education and childrens services.
Meanwhile, former Ormiston Park Academy student, Alex Pritchard is making his way for Tottenham Hotspur. Previously with West Ham, Alex joined the Spurs Academy full-time in June 2009 and made his debut for the Under-18s as an Under-16 player in May 2009, coming on as a substitute and scoring in a 2-0 success against Birmingham City.
In some ways it looks radical but as executive head, Chris Tomlinson said: "Our school is not that far from Canary Wharf. Hundreds of young people, in executive dress walk towards Chafford Hundred railway station every day. "Now many do the same but walk into our school.
But why hear it from us? As we went around the corridors of Ormiston Park Academy, we stopped a number of the students and asked them to tell us why they thought it was such a good school. The statistics say one thing but what do they say?
THE CAR PARKS WERE absolutely full. The guided tours had huge tails of prospective parents and students winding their way along the William Edwards corridors. In the modest words of headteacher, Steve Munday, the "Outstanding" Ofsted "Doesn't hurt" when it comes to attracting pupils.
Stifford Clays Infants & Nursery School were delighted to welcome two Ford employees, who offered to work in the community for two days recently. They kindly painted the fence around the schools large pond area which they actually erected in past years.
