THURROCK Council's portfolio holder for education has responded to a Thurrock Nub News exclusive report about secondary school placements in the borough to play down public discontent.

In a story published this afternoon we reported on the hundreds of disappointed parents who have learned that their children have been denied a place at St Clere's School in Stanford-le-Hope.

This includes a number of children who already have siblings at the school. Discontent is particularly rife in East Tilbury, a classified feeder village for the school over decades – and similarly in Horndon on the Hill.

Nevertheless the council, in a statement rushed out an hour after our story the council claimed the secondary placement process to be a success and a year-on-year improvement – even though it concedes around one in four pupils are not getting their first choice school.

The council says: "More than 92 per cent of pupils who are expected to begin secondary school in Thurrock this September have been offered one of their top three school preferences.

"Offers announced today (Monday 1 March) have revealed that 92.4 per cent of students will be able to attend one of their top choices, an increase from 88.4 per cent in 2020.

"Over three quarters of pupils (77.1%) will be able to attend their first choice of school – up from 72.1% in 2020.

Portfolio holder for education, Cllr Andrew Jefferies, says: "Through our investment in school places across the borough we have been able to make sure as many children as possible are able to attend one of their preferred secondary school choices, and indeed five per cent more pupils have been offered their first choice this year.

"I know it has been an exceptionally challenging last year in primary school for our young people and I would like to wish them all the very best as they make their transition from primary to secondary school where they will continue to develop and thrive."

The council statement goes on to say that: "Since 2016 Thurrock Council has invested £10 million in expanding schools and helped new free schools secure over £50 million of government funding.

"This includes the expansions at Corringham Primary, Abbots Hall Primary Academy, Ockendon Academy, Benyon Primary School and new schools Orsett Heath Academy and Cooperative Riverside Secondary School* along with the new Harris Academy Purfleet School.

"When all work is completed it will mean that over 2,000 additional school places will have been created in Thurrock over the last five years."

• Thurrock Nub News has asked what the Cooperative Riverside Secondary School is. We believe it to be Thames Park School which has started admissions on a part of the South Essex College in Grays prior to the building of a scheduled new school on land adjacent to Palmer's College and this is possibly a mistake in council communications.