Head teachers claim there is no need to set up two free schools in West Bridgford and Arnold
HEAD teachers have labelled plans for two new free schools in West Bridgford and Arnold as damaging.
The Post this week revealed how 1,200 extra secondary school places could be created by September 2018 under the plans.
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.
Heads in those areas have questioned the proposals.
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Rob McDonough, head teacher at West Bridgford School, wants to build three new classrooms, at a cost of around £150,000 to ease pressure on places at his school.
He said: "We are open to giving parents more choice of where to send their child.
"These free schools could be damaging, in that it may count against our application for building funds, which would then deny many parents the chance to come to our outstanding school and possibly have to go somewhere which hasn't been tried or tested.
"The option of expanding our school would also be much cheaper for the taxpayer."
The head teacher at West Bridgford's other major secondary – Rushcliffe School – is also worried.
Phil Crompton said: "West Bridgford and the surrounding area is served by some of the highest-achieving schools in the region and it comes as a major surprise to hear that anyone is proposing to create a new school in the area.
"The demand for secondary places could easily be met by increasing capacity on existing secondary school sites."
Andrew Burns, principal at Redhill Academy in Arnold, also questioned the proposals. His school hopes to create extra space for 50 to 60 students in each year group, at a cost of £750,000.
"By expanding our academy, we will be able to cater for the growing demand for school places in Arnold.
"We do not feel that a new free school is something that this town and its people need," he said.
Robin Fugill, principal of Arnold Hill Academy, agreed: "You can't just plonk a new school into a community like you put a shop in a high street, because you are dealing with young people's lives that need to be nurtured.
"The Government should be building on the schools which have already integrated themselves in their community."
However, Linda Adcock, of the School of Education at Nottingham Trent University, said: "Free schools have a worthy place in society where groups of children have no suitable provision, for example children with a particular special need or where children have to travel some distance to go to school. They also provide a creative space where innovative educators can offer provision which is outside the usual educational experience.
"It is also a powerful way of supporting the drive to give parents and the local community more say in the education offered to young people.
"However, we need to take care that this does not fragment communities rather than join them together. We have to ask, whenever groups of children are taken out of an existing school population, what the effect is going to be on those remaining children."
John Tomasevic, chief executive of the trust seeking to set up the free schools, said: "We are proposing a small, personal school where learning strategies are tailored to the individual and where each child is important.
"The question parents need to ask is would they prefer to send their child to an existing school that is expanding to accommodate additional numbers and the numerous challenges that brings, or to a smaller, specialist school that focuses on the individual?"
Comments
by Depressed
Tuesday, October 30 2012, 3:13PM
“Jenny Witch - Rushcliffe (84%) and West Bridgford (91%) 5 A* to C grade at GCSE.
Toot Hill (the Free School provider) got 80% 5A* to C - and its partner school 67%.
Why waste taxpayers money on this project? I would however heartily support it if we could find a 90% or more provider to take on Rushcliffe and West Bridgford. It would give them the rocket most public providers need on a regular basis.
But why dilute the areas provision with an inferior provider? As I mentioned in another thread only in the wasteful state sector could such an idea be entertained.”
by jennywitch
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 7:14AM
“Therealstory. Of course I excluded independent schools; their results are so massively better than anything achieved by the state sector. By any rational definition, unless of course one is a teacher with a vested interest, there are no excellent schools in Nottingham/Notts. There are some which are somewhat better than the rest, an d a good many which are extremely poor.
Of course in the days of the direct grant system, you'd have been bleating that all the clever but gifted chidren were creamed off from state schooll to go to independent ones.
Now they aren't, and since we're told many parents of able children can't afford school fees, those children must be in state schools. So what's your excuse for under-performance now that they are there and should be lifting the everage?
Couldn't be poor heads, poor teachers and thus poor schools, could it?”
by Trentend1967
Monday, October 22 2012, 9:43PM
“"There is far too many chavs from the medders mixing with the offspring of Bread and lard island.
They didn t mortgage themselves to the hilt for this - so instead of social apatheid by post code - they ll do it by "careful selection".
Priavate education is a very expensive alternative, and they might have to sell up and move"north of the Trent", so i expect it will be a great success.
The truth of Adam smith s "invisible hand" triumphs once more !!"”
by Trentend1967
Monday, October 22 2012, 9:40PM
“"There is far too many chavs from the medders mixing with the offspring of Bread and lard island.
They didn t mortgage themselves to the hilt for this - so instead of social apatheid by post code - they ll do it by "careful selection".
Priavate education is a very expensive alternative, and they might have to sell up and move"north of the Trent", so i expect it will be a great success.
The truth of Adam smith s "invisible hand" triumphs once more !!"”
by Therealstory
Monday, October 22 2012, 8:36PM
“Pauldan - I've made it clear that it's a question of geography. Build new schools in areas where the standards need improving. WBS, an established successful school, has firm plans to expand. A new free school could scupper those refurbishment plans. That makes no sense. You've obviously got a problem with South Wolds (a school I know nothing about) - your comments about the head border on the libellous, so you might want to tone them down a bit!”
by Therealstory
Monday, October 22 2012, 5:47PM
“jennywitch - if your stats include results from private schools, it's not a fair comparison (smaller class sizes, entrance exams screening out less able pupils etc). But my point stands. WBS and Rushcliffe are excellent schools. Therefore West Bridgford is the last place a free school should be contemplated. WBS already has major plans to expand to take more pupils. If the free school goes ahead, those plans will probably have to be scrapped because it would be too risky for WBS to spend the money. The free school idea IN THIS AREA is destabilising and should be opposed.”
by jennywitch
Sunday, October 21 2012, 10:40PM
“Just to correct one of the more egregious claims by Therealstory: the results of Nottingham/Nottinghamshire schools are not among the best nationally, or even, for that matter, regionally.
The national average number of GCSE passes at Grade C and above for all pupils in 2011 was in 78.8. Boys' average was 75%, girls' 82.7. Other than in the independent sector, not a single school in Nottingham achieved this level nor did any in the county. In the city the highest percentage was 69 at Fernwood. In the county the Minster almost achieved the national average with its 78%. Overall the county performs poorly - in the national GCSE leagues it comes below half and towards two thirds down out of 150 authorities but it's less of a disaster area then Nottingham City, which regularly comes in the bottom 5 or 6 nationwide.”
by theparentview
Saturday, October 20 2012, 8:02PM
“The arrogance of the toot hill plans go beyond ethical! Talking to a friend today it seems that Toot Hill may have plans to open 2 primary schools in their own catchment area! This means one of two things
1. There is a massive need for new primary places in Bingham. This will translate to a massive increase in secondary places. Why not open a free school in competition to toot hill? We all know that surely toot hill couldn't accommodate these extra numbers and all he problems that will create!
2. The isn't a massive need for new primary schools and the management of toot hill are prepared to cut their own family of schools off at the knees in what appears to be an endless pursuit of empire building!
Either way, if this is true, why would we want to welcome a school run by a leadership that has shown to have double standards and a distinct lack of class. This has been proven by the glossy brochure that arrived on my doormat today! I agree with Leonid the publicity materials are a disgrace in today's diverse society.
Good luck to the Arnold and west bridgford schools in fending off this threat to our children's education and to choice”
by leonid
Saturday, October 20 2012, 5:45PM
“Just thought I'd take on schoolboy's challenge to see how much better Toot Hill did in the last round of Ofsteds than all the other schools in the area. Ok, so Toot Hill - 18 grade '1s' and 13 grade '2s'. First one I checked was WBS - 25 grade '1s' and 6 grade '2s'.
Didn't seem much point going on after that.....
Ps Following schoolboy's logic may I propose that Minster School (30 grade '1s' and one grade '2') take over the rest of Notts' schools which are all failing in comparison.”
by schoolboy
Saturday, October 20 2012, 1:06PM
“Thanks for the link, i'll have a read.”