THE proud parents of a Colchester schoolboy stand by their decision to remove their son from private education after he found success at a state-funded school.

Nithilan Raghunathan joined the Gilberd School, in Brinkley Lane, Highwoods, Colchester, as a Year 10 pupil in 2021 after previously being enrolled at an independent school in Suffolk.

His parents made the decision to pull him out of the private school after becoming unhappy with the quality of teaching during the coronavirus pandemic.

Nithilan's proud dad told the Gazette he didn't regret the family's decision for his son to become a Gilberdian, adding: "Our son has received fantastic support from the teachers after joining the school."

After achieving five 6s and two 7s in his GCSEs alongside top marks in a digital information technology BTEC, Nithilan will soon start at Colchester Sixth Form College where he will work towards A levels in maths, history, and computer science.

His parents added that their son's experience as a Gilberd student was much more pleasant than that of their daughter who went through the grammar school system, reminding other parents that the pressure put on by selective schools isn't always worth it.