THURROCK’S worst performing secondary school will develop “a culture of rigorous quality assurance” under its new headteacher after it became an academy earlier this month.

The former Grays School Media and Arts College officially became an academy on July 1 under the sponsorship of the Academy Transformation Trust.

The school has changed its name to become the Hathaway Academy – after the name of the road it is located in – and will undergo a rebranding with new ties and badges.

James Howarth, the school’s new headteacher, who takes up post in September, is a PE teacher from Kent.

His previous roles include associate principal at Harris Academy, in Peckham, and Harris City Academy in Crystal Palace.

Before that, he was deputy head at Eastlea Community School in Canning Town.

He said: “My aims are to build on the current strengths of the school, develop a greater focus on enhancing the quality of teaching and learning, and take the academy to outstanding in all areas.

"My focus has always been on helping students to raise their self-beliefs and aspirations, whilst providing staff with a tangible link as to what works best for specific students and groups of students.

“The impact this has had on behaviour for learning is incredible and something I believe has a place in every school.”

He added: “The academy will develop a culture of rigorous quality assurance, which will facilitate an accurate picture of strengths and weakness and enable detailed programmes of support to be created to help staff improve their practice.”

As well as raising standards of the school, the Trust intends to better integrate the school with the community.

Last year, just 35.1 per cent of students left the school with five A* to C grades at GCSE.

The school placed in special measures in 2007 by Ofsted. More recent reports have found the school to have improved in some areas.