THE headteacher of a troubled Basildon school hopes to give pupils a leg up on to the jobs ladder by opening a vocational centre.

Dr Rory Fox, head of the Basildon Academies , is opening the centre, which will offer courses in hairdressing, construction and mechanics, next month.

The school, which was placed in special measures in March, has been trying to improve its reputation through a series of measures, including smaller class sizes and a summer school so students can brush up on their reading, writing and maths skills.

It is also offering pupils a wider selection of languages, including Latin.

Dr Fox, who used to teach in a prison, was brought in last year to try to turn round the fortunes of the school and the vocational centre is the next step in his plans to help students.

He said: “The new centre will have specific facilities for students doing hairdressing, mechanics and construction courses.

“The buildings we are going to use for the centre are currently empty and we see this as the best way forward.

“There are currently not enough further education options at the school and A-Levels are not for everyone.

“By introducing a larger selection, we are giving the pupils the best chance to get a job when they leave us.”

The new centre will be on the site of the Basildon Upper Academy, in Wickford Avenue, Pitsea , which also houses the school’s sixth form students.

A children’s nursery will also be opened as part of the new development.

Dr Fox added: “So many of our current students are doing courses which they are just not suited to because there has been limited choice previously at the school.

“By introducing more vocational courses, that is really going to help things – and we are also installing a new language programme.

“We have brought in new language specialists and started teaching Spanish.

“We hope some of our sixthformers might look at studying at universities in Europe where tuition fees are lower.”