STANFORD-le-Hope ward councillor Gary Byrne has responded to media reports about the high numbers of local children from his Homesteads ward and neighbouring wards being with drawn from two secondary schools in the area.

Earlier today (Sunday, 16 November) Thurrock Nub News shared a report from the Local Democracy Reporting Service, highlighting the deenrolment of around 150 children since the Mosbourne educational trust took over the former Gable Hall and Hassenbrook schools, renaming the Fobbing and Port Side academies.

Independent Cllr Byrne has been at the forefront of monitoring the trust's performance - and has found it wanting and dismissive of local concerns. though he does say there have been marginal improvements.

Cllr Byrne told Nub News: "One hundred and fifty children have already left Mossbourne academies since the trust arrived in Thurrock, a figure that should, by itself, prompt serious reflection from local education decision-makers.

"Over the past year, I have repeatedly emailed Jonathan Duff, the Regional Director for Education, raising a number of concerns.

"Yet the responses have been minimal, and the level of interest shown has been extremely limited.

"Even within the Children's Overview & Scrutiny Committee, simply mentioning Mossbourne is enough to draw raised eyebrows, on a recent meeting I asked directly: 'Why does everyone here seem to fear Mossbourne?'

"Even Sir Michael Wilshaw, the first Chief Inspector of Ofsted, has now acknowledged that academies hold far too much power and autonomy.

"Locally, the standard response is always the same: 'We have no authority over academies, our hands are tied.'

"At my most recent meeting with the Head of Mossbourne Fobbing, I requested that our regional police officer attend to support the discussion around the mobile phone ban.

"Although this was initially agreed, the school refused police attendance at the last minute.

"Instead, the Director of Education joined me. During that meeting, we agreed to hold regular meetings , but the Head made it conditional on me ceasing to share parents' concerns on Facebook. People can draw their own conclusions from that.

"Progress is being made, but it remains slow and heavily one-sided.

"However, the recent investment into gender neutral toilets shows that criticism is being acknowledged.

"They have admitted they got their original actions very wrong , an indication that, however reluctantly, they are beginning to listen."