Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, has expressed his delight at the news that FitzWimarc School in Hockley Road, Rayleigh, has now been allowed to convert to become an Academy from 1st March 2015. The decision was approved at the end of February by the Secretary of State for Education, the Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP, and means the school can now change its status which will give greater autonomy to the Headteacher, Mr Robert Harris, and his Governors in the running and organisation of their school.
Mark has been a firm proponent of FitzWimarc’s bid to become and Academy and has supported this both through the conversion process and by making supportive representations to Ministers and officials at the Department of Education.
Commenting on the decision, Mark Francois said:
"A tremendous amount of work has gone into the Academy bid by Mr Harris and the staff and Governors of FitzWimarc and so I am delighted that all this effort has successfully borne fruit. FitzWimarc has already been rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted but becoming an Academy will allow them to take the school to the next stage and will also be important in their desire to become a sixth form - something which I am also very keen to support. FitzWimarc is a very good school and I am sure this decision will be welcomed by staff, parents and pupils alike. I would like to congratulate the school on their success."