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Thurrock Council's School Effectiveness service supports schools and those who work with them to:

• Ensure pupils are the main focus for school improvement and take an active role;
• Enhance schools' internal capacity for self evaluation and for taking charge of change;
• Improve the quality of learning, teaching, leadership and management at all levels;
• Promote the development of schools as learning organisations;
• Build and sustain effective working relationships within and between schools and their partners;
• Encourage effective working relationships within schools;
• Enhance relationships between schools and their:
  • partners;
  • pupils;
  • parents;
  • governing bodies;
  • local education authority;
  • industry;
  • government agencies;
  • higher education.

Raising the Participation Age (RPA)

The Education and Skills Act 2008 places a new duty on all young people to participate in education or training until their 18th birthday. This does not necessarily mean staying in school. Young people will be able to choose how they participate, which could be in:

• full-time education, such as a school or college
• work-based learning, such as an Apprenticeship
• part-time education and training, if they are employed or volunteering more than 20 hours a week.

The participation age will be increased in two stages, to 17 in 2013 and to 18 in 2015. In 2015 young people will continue in education or training to 18 (or until completion of a full level 3 programme, whichever is sooner).

The first cohort of students to be affected by RPA are currently in Year 10, and the first cohort to all stay on until 18 are in Year 9. Thurrock council is working with schools and colleges to ensure that they, and the cohorts following them, successfully continue to further education or training post-16.

More information can be found on the Department for Education website:

• Department for Education: Raising the Participation Age: An Assessment of the Economic Benefits - Summary

Services for schools, parents and pupils:

• School Admissions
• School Prospectuses
• School Catchment Areas
• School Attendance
• Unauthorised Absence From School
• School Exclusions
• School Transport
• School Catering
• Educational Visits
• Curriculum Services

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