A FREE school has been rated good and been given a glowing report by Ofsted having been open less than two years ago.

The YMCA Free School in East Street Southend opened its doors in September 2013 and caters for youngsters aged 14 to 16 who cannot attend mainstream school, for various reasons.

The non-profit making, independent, state-funded school aims to inspire young people to succeed in life and the signs are it is doing just that.

A report by the government education watchdog said: “Almost all students make good and sometimes outstanding progress during the short time they are at the school.

“They achieve better grades in English, mathematics and information technology GCSEs than they were predicted to when they arrived because the school places a high value on them attaining these qualifications.”

The inspectors praised headteacher Annette Turner. The report said: “The headteacher, ably supported by governors, has established a clear vision of excellence for the school. She effectively leads with unrelenting determination to improve students’ achievement and well-being and increase their life chances.”

Ms Turner said: “It’s excellent news.

We were expecting a good result because myself and the chief executive Syrie Cox have worked hard towards this. We have very dedicated team of staff that go above and beyond the call of duty.

“The staff are totally dedicated to changing the lives of young people. We have 33 students in September and next year we hope to expand to 40 places. We are already working towards an outstanding Ofsted report next time and have an action plan in place which we are working on because we believe all our children deserve an outstanding education.”