Thurrock’s South African community pay tribute to Nelson Mandela - FROM YOURTHURROCK

SOUTH AFRICAN members of the Thurrock community have paid tribute to Nelson Mandela who has passed away peacefully at the age of 95.

Educationalist Siya Twani is well-known to the Thurrock community as he has spoken to a host of organisations throughout the borough about the apartheid regime; a regime that imprisoned and tortured Siya.
Siya said: “I am crying tears of sadness and yet also tears of joy. Joy for our father who brought us freedom. Joy for a man who gave us hope and a hope that still burns brightly in us all.
“We all walk in his shadow and all hope for a world in which ill-health, war and poverty can one day be history.
“I an about to walk into the South African High Commission and know we will all have sadness but also we will sing for Madiba.”
Thurrock businessman, Kent Rhodes also paid his own personal tribute. He said: “R.I.P Nelson Mandela – tata Madiba. So much we have learnt through your leadership.
“I am a proud South African who is sad for our loss but so grateful for your wisdom and the choices you made for yourself and our nation that positively affected my life. There are so many lessons we can take from your teachings.
“My top learning/inspiration from you is, don’t play small be prepared to be brilliant and realise the full potential of the life you can live. The greatest way we as South Africans can truly show our respect is to live more of the values and ideals you taught and stood for.
“I’d like to thank you for positively effecting my life even though you have never met me. You inspire me to want to do the same for others in the way I live my life.
“You have been a gift to us all. Thank you for choosing to give and lead us to do the same.
Tilbury residents Jan Olley, who came over from Johannesberg four years ago said:
“I am sad the day has come that such a hero of South Africa has passed on… VIVA MADIBA x.
“I am actually sitting having a cry… and hoping that the many dreams Nelson Mandela had for South Africa will come to pass.”
Below is a film of Siya Twani speaking about his experience in the time if apartheid.

GCSEs 2011: Harris Academy Chafford Hundred: The “Usain Bolt” of education in Thurrock | Your Thurrock

GCSEs 2011: Harris Academy Chafford Hundred: The “Usain Bolt” of education in Thurrock | Your Thurrock:

HARRIS ACADEMY, Chafford Hundred achieved an astonishing result today with the 92% of students gaining 5 or more GCSEs at A* to C.

It is another remarkable landmark in the rise and rise of the school, that, only five years ago, was given notice to improve by Ofsted.

The school now stands 22% ahead of its nearest rivals, St Clere’s and William Edwards. It is the Usain Bolt of education in Thurrock.

Not only that, the school has partnered Eltham Green Foundation School and in six short months have improved their results from 27% to 46%. Unbelievable.

If there is a definition of ambition then it is the fact that next year, executive head, Chris Tomlinson wants to beat Harris Academy Crystal Palace, who achieved 95% with its 5 GCSEs at A* to C including English and Maths.

YT spoke to Mr Tomlinson about the results, the system in place, the ever improving techniques and where the school go from here.

For 100 year 11 students, they will be returning to the new sixth year next month as part of a brave new chapter at the Harris Academy Chafford Hundred.

Funding Issue on Campus

CHAFFORD Hundred school, lauded, last year, as the most improved school in the United Kingdom is in danger of having £1.4 million worth of funding for its sixth form centre withdrawn by Thurrock Council.
The news marks a low point in the relationship between the school and the local education authority and may, once again, see a school in Thurrock choose to become an academy and “free itself” from local authority control.
YT understands that the decision to pull the funding is based on the school refused to teach Construction and Motor Mechanics.
Thurrock Council has defended its decision.
A spokesperson said: “In September 2010 the council agreed to offer funds to develop vocational learning facilities at Chafford Hundred Campus jointly with
any subsequent post-16 facilities developed by the school.
The funds are from a specific grant and its conditions are that it must be used to support vocational education and/or Special Educational Needs. Since September 2010 there have been several discussions with the school about the proposed joint facility.
The school has advised the council that the vocational offer proposed by the council did not match their plans for the school. Thurrock Council
and the school jointly agreed to refer the vocational education proposal back to the 14-19 Partnership Group for them to consider further.
This group which represents all schools and colleges in the area have agreed to consult with schools on further options.
Their feedback will be fully considered by the council in due course before any further decisions are made.

Mobile Phone Mast again

O2 have approached the Essex Wildlife Trust to discuss the siting of a mobile phone mast on their property in Chafford Hundred.
The No Masts on Chafford group have met with EWT and held a number of residents’ meetings to discuss possible future applications.
A spokesperson for No Masts said: “I can confirm that a meeting of the Resident Focus Group took place where we discussed O2′s approach to Essex Wildlife Trust and that while we feel the best solution would be no mobile phone mast, we agree that in order to meet O2′s coverage if a mast is absolutely necessary then it should be situated as far from all residential homes as possible – even where this poses a cost issue to O2.
“If O2 can establish that there is an absolute need for a mobile phone mast in the central area of Chafford Hundred then we believe that Location 1 would be the best solution, provided that the mobile phone mast was sited equidistant from all of the residential homes – marked “X” on the peninsular of land between Warren Lane, Lancaster Road, Devonshire Road and Palmerston Rd, as show on the attached map.
“We are disappointed that O2 have not consulted with our resident focus group on their approach to yourselves – and that this is the third time consultation by O2 has failed to take place.
“We trust that in view of our recent meetings, O2 will now engage with residents to find a mutually agreeable solution and we welcome their approach to set up an appropriate meeting to take this forward”.