Campaign attack on free school bid in West Bridgford and Arnold 'chaos'
CAMPAIGNERS have blasted plans for free schools in West Bridgford and Arnold.
The group Notts Hands Off Our Schools hit out at proposals to create 1,200 extra secondary school places by September 2018.
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They say free schools take away the democratic accountability of local councils .
Spokesman Alan Darley said: "Free schools replace the proper strategic educational planning and provision of the local authority with the chaos of a market free-for-all.
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"Free schools mean that our education system is being privatised, like the NHS, right under our noses."
Torch Academy Gateway Trust, headed by John Tomasevic, principal at Toot Hill Academy in Bingham, wants to open the Trent Bridge Free School in West Bridgford and the Nottingham Free School in Arnold.
But Mr Darley added: "These schools will threaten existing provision in the area and create a chaos in the allocation of school places.
"A new free school is likely to create a problem of surplus places leading to unnecessary competition and schools with many places unfilled, with the resulting negative effects on school budgets."
He said the demand could easily be met by existing schools.
Free schools are able to control their intake, which the 70 supporters of the Notts Hands Off Our Schools campaign claim will lead to them harvesting the most able students and discarding the less able.
Mr Darley said: "Like the US Charter schools and the Swedish free schools which they are modelled on, there is no evidence that free schools raise standards, so there is no reason to expect them to benefit education in Nottingham."
But John Tomasevic, chief executive of the trust seeking to set up the free schools, said that they would have a stronger focus on individual pupils than a school which was expanding to accommodate growing pupil numbers.
He said: "We are proposing a small, personal school where learning strategies are tailored to the individual and where each child is important."
Comments
by rdc180368
Monday, November 12 2012, 4:25PM
“Not exactly... more something "new" - and completely unnecessary that is only being introduced out of stupid reasons of ideology and to allow profiteering from our schools. To think that it's that kind of "grab all you can" mentality that got us into the economic mess we're in and still Cameron and Gove haven't learned.”
by andyjsy
Monday, November 12 2012, 4:16PM
“aaarrrgh, something new, quick, fetch the pitchforks & burning torches...”
by rdc180368
Monday, November 12 2012, 3:36PM
“@Woolly80... You must be easily impressed. I went to one of the Trent Bridge Free School presentations and it was full of holes. Mr Tomasevic made several sweeping "assertions" regarding other schools in the area (basically, he rubbished them) and sought to promote a few myths too regarding both the history of academies and what an incoming Labour government might say or do.
The free schools take money away from existing schools. Groups such as Torch are looking to exploit opportunities such as this for their own gain. This government is trying to do exactly the same thing to schools that it has been condemned for attempting to do to the NHS. The best way to provide extra school places is through a co-ordinated and planned system such as we had with local authorities. If there are "faults" in the system, then politicians should fix them and not hand the future of children over lock,stock and barrel to those such as Mr Tomasevic whose motives have yet to become fully clear.”
by Depressed
Monday, November 12 2012, 1:38PM
“He said: "We are proposing a small, personal school where learning strategies are tailored to the individual and where each child is important."
Just like at Toot Hill School which I believe is 1700+?”
by Woolly80
Monday, November 12 2012, 12:11PM
“It will be a divisive issue but a colleague and I attended the Nottingham Free School presentation by John and colleagues and was impressed. There is a clear need for high quality schools at least in Carrington and Sherwood and in West Bridgeford, there is something like 2 children chasing every place. I can't see how they can be privatised when it's charities or public organisations running them from a pot of government money. I think in a city with such poor "standard" schools, anything fresh and run by people who have a history in turning round other failing schools into successful ones, should be something welcomed.”