Please find below our Press Release regarding the opening of Thames Park Secondary School:

New free school for Grays
The Osborne Co-operative Academy Trust is delighted to announce that the Department for Education (DfE)
has agreed to Thames Park Secondary School opening in September 2020. The school is being built on land
adjacent to Palmer’s College in Chadwell Road, Grays. The site is within walking distance of both Thameside
Primary School, Little Thurrock Primary School and the centre of Grays. As part of the Trust both primary
schools would have priority for places.

The new Thames Park Secondary School will serve the children of Grays and will be modelled on the very
successful and significantly oversubscribed St Clere’s Secondary School based in Stanford-Le-Hope, rated
‘Good’ by Ofsted in December 2018.

The new school will be:

• able to accommodate 180 pupils in each year group (120 pupils whilst in temporary accommodation)
• an inclusive comprehensive school for both boys and girls
• built on the strong academic performance of all the Osborne Trust’s schools
• led by Ashlie Hughes, Headteacher St Clere’s Secondary School, as the Executive Head.

Cllr James Halden, Thurrock Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Health, said: “We are committed to
ensuring all young people in the borough receive the best possible education and are delighted the vast
majority of our schools are currently rated as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.
“Demand for secondary school places is increasing and, together with our partners, we are investing more
than £70million to create over 3,500 new school places in the borough.

“The Thames Park Secondary School proposals are a big part of our plans and I am delighted that a site has
now been secured. I look forward to continuing to work with the Osborne Co-operative Academy Trust and
the Department for Education on this important project, which will create 900 much-needed new school
places in Grays.”

Whilst the new school is being built, the first year group of pupils in September 2020 will use a newly
refurbished teaching block adjacent to South Essex College in central Grays. This modernised and secure
building will offer its own playground and separate entrance, with spacious classrooms and specialist
teaching facilities.

Paul Griffiths, CEO of the Osborne Co-operative Trust said ‘”This is an exciting opportunity for the Trust and a
great opportunity for the families of Grays to benefit from the values led education available within our
Trust. We will open statutory consultation from Monday 9th September 2019 for a period of six weeks and
the first open evening will be held at 6pm on the 19th September at South Essex College (Thurrock Campus).”
The open evening will be held in the college theatre just inside the main college entrance. Following the
presentations, guided tours of the temporary accommodation will be offered to parents.

Parents wishing to apply for places for the first year will apply directly to the Trust. Details on how to do this
will be provided in September 2019 at the start of the new academic year.

Future years’ admissions will be managed by Thurrock Council as part of the co-ordinated admissions
process.

www.thamespark.org.uk
www.osborne.coop