School shortlisted for prestigious award (From Essex County Standard)
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School shortlisted for prestigious award
11:02am Tuesday 2nd October 2012 in News
Headteacher Jackie Shanks with Ryes pupils, Tom Brown and Zack Barnes
STAFF and children are celebrating after their school was shortlisted for a prestigious award.
The Ryes Community College, which has a campus in Aldham, has been shortlisted for the Special Needs Initiative of the Year, as part of the 2012 Independent School Awards, which take place in November.
Ten years ago the school, which educates young people aged from 11 to 18 from difficult backgrounds, was put in special measures and local authorities were refusing to place students.
But in December an Ofsted report awarded the school ‘good’ status.
When headteacher Jackie Shanks took over in November 2010, she set about changing the school’s fortunes.
“We have worked hard to turn the school’s fortunes around,” she said.
“We are now in the position where we have local authorities looking to place kids with us very often, where they had previously refused to.”
The awards take place on November 14 at the National Motorcycle Museum, near Birmingham.
