Anger, frustration and even sympathy towards a bungling teacher poured out as parents arrived at a controversial Laindon school.

While some students picked up their GCSE exam marks at James Hornsby High School, others were left still waiting after drama teacher Gill Hearsey, year 11 co-ordinator, left hundreds of exam papers in a school cupboard.

Sheila Dibley, with daughter Kerry, was angry and hoped they would be given answers at the closed meeting for parents.

Mrs Dibley said: "My daughter is not going on to college, she is going on a City and Guilds three-year apprenticeship to be a chef.

"But that is not the point, is it? She wants her results like everyone else. She has done the work and wants to know how she did."

Parent Rose Craft was more philosophical about the whole affair.

She said: "It could well have been a genuine mistake and we all make them. I feel sorry for the teacher as well as the children. The important thing is that it is all sorted out in the end.

"None of the colleges in this area have been awkward, quite the reverse, they have been very good about it all. I do feel the onus should not have been on Mrs Hearsey alone. There should have been double checks all along the way by more than just one person."

Jean Singer, who also had a child at the school, agreed with Rose and hoped the school and Mrs Hearsey would not be stigmatised by the incident.

She said: "It is the children's first big set of exams so understandably it has upset them. But as Rose said, mistakes happen and no-one's perfect. I just hope we can all move on from this."

Carole Cotterill arrived with her daughter to find out what results had come through so far.

She said: "My daughter has to wait for her maths and English results so she still does not know where she stands for college.

"The children go through all the stress of the exams and here they are going through it all again. The teachers are paid to put the interests' of the children first.

"I am very annoyed about the whole affair. Furious, in fact. She should not be in that position if she can forget GCSE papers."

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