Thoughts on the ground: free school leaders come together

The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) (Ewan-M via Flickr cc)

Last Tuesday evening a small group of about 10 people gathered over sparkling water and wine at the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). In this relaxed setting these individuals, who ranged from parents, to free school proposers, to those involved in existing free schools, animatedly discussed the movement that unites them.

The informal meeting was organised by computer scientist Philip Moore, whose work to support education using technology often brings him into contact with free school leaders. However, Moore explained that he often finds it difficult to connect to the right people and is surprised by the lack of networking within what is essentially a grass-roots movement. Consequently, he started a group on Meetup called Free School Leaders, which aims to “bring together the leaders of the free school movement so that they can meet in person, make friends, share their ideas, solve problems together, and discuss the burning issues of the day”.

Currently, the group has 34 members and Tuesday evening was its inaugural meeting with a guest speaker in the form of Helen Humphry, the project leader for Chichester Free School.

Hackney New School building exhibition

Hackney New School moves one step closer to opening as it holds a building plans exhibition this Friday.

Last week the De Beauvoir-based school, scheduled to open in September, became the first free school opening this year to sign its funding agreement.

Friday’s exhibition will give people from the area the opportunity to meet the architects, builders and school team and to see the ideas for the new building.

Residents will have the opportunity to air their views before a planning application is made.

Shoreditch-based architects Henley Halebrown Rorrison – who were named Public Building Architect of the Year in 2011 – are designing the new school alongside two refurbished buildings on the Union Wharf site.

Hackney New School’s programme director Phillippa De’Ath said: “The new school will have music at its heart with a large performance space as well as outside space for sport and play.”

The latest free school news

Some of the big issues from the last few weeks.The links are in chronological order, starting with the most recent stories. The Storify can also be viewed directly here: https://storify.com/AntoniaMolloy/the-latest-free-school-news

1. Today’s Independent on Sunday revealed that three out of the first nine free schools to be inspected by Ofsted were classed as “not good”.
2. 

   Nick Sutton@suttonnick

   ·

   Sat, Mar 16 2013 12:54:38

   ReplyRetweetFavorite

A movement that’s never far from the headlines

One of the things that makes free schools so unique is the capacity for different groups to achieve a specific vision, which is not always possible within a more traditional structure. Whether this means running a school based on a particular set of values, operating on a more flexible time frame, or simply providing an educational institute for an area in need, the free school movement encompasses a diverse spectrum of establishments.

With change comes publicity and, sometimes, controversy. Here are just three of the free schools which, for various reasons, have hit the headlines over the past few years:

* The Free School Norwich

Facts

Location: Norwich.

Opened: September 2011.

Type: 4-11  primary school.

Principal: Tania Sidney-Roberts.

Teacher expresses community concerns over free schools

Guest post by Mohamed Sabur, educational consultant and former headteacher of Elthorne Park High School in Ealing.  

The effect that free schools might have on the community concern many people, and rightly so. The first concern most people voice is that the playing field is simply not level.

There is little doubt about which groups are most likely to succeed: the professionally organised who understand and can negotiate the system.  In contrast, the most disadvantaged students are unlikely to have parents who have the expertise needed to undertake the complex process of setting up a school. Networking, consulting, preparing a bid, setting up, running and sustaining a school is no mean feat.

Free school panel discussion – live blogging

Sam Creighton represents Free School Talk at a City University panel discussion. Follow the live blog here.