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Secondary education

What kind of building will your free school be in?

47 replies

kittya · 28/01/2011 23:32

Ours is going to be in a couple of prefabs and its putting people off applying to go!!

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dejavuaswell · 29/01/2011 07:21

More to the point how did you get qualified experienced teachers to work in a couple of prefabs within the free school framework?

You do have qualified experienced teachers to "offer" the parents don't you!? Hmm

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lalalonglegs · 29/01/2011 07:27

How long is it going to be in prefabs?

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kittya · 29/01/2011 07:55

No-one knows yet. It is due to open in September. Talking to my friends, none of them are applying because the children will be in a couple of prefabs and use the facilities of the school next door. Also, they are worried because it's never been done before

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lalalonglegs · 29/01/2011 09:40

I have to say, it wouldn't tempt me. I don't really understand why they are opening a free school if there is a school next door - what is it hoping to offer that will attract pupils away from that one?

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kittya · 29/01/2011 09:51

That every child in the school will go to university, that is it's aim. Also it finishes at 5pm! I want to know how they pick the hundred children that start the ball rolling.

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dejavuaswell · 29/01/2011 10:15

How many qualified experienced teachers have you signed up?

BTW - Silence will rather imply zero.


How many students/pupils have you got signed up?

BTW - Silence will rather imply zero.

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toryfreeschoolssuck · 29/01/2011 10:19

Is it the WLFS? If so, it sounds like a very unpromising situation. The planned permanent site would involve kicking out the refugee service and 20 other local community groups who are suffering funding cuts from the same council that seems oh so keen on the free school, and would also involve building work on an old (protected?) building for which they have no planning permission.

The temporary site is about a minute away from an outstanding secondary school, whose main downfall seems to be that snobby parents aren't willing to send their precious children to a school on an estate - will they feel any different about the free school? And plans for a much needed special school on the same site have to be put back for the crazy rush to open Toby Young's personal project.

I hope the small and very good primary school next door isn't imposed on too much by being forced to share its grounds and facilities with this ill conceived project.

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kittya · 29/01/2011 10:59

It's in Yorkshire so I don't think we are talking about the same one. The school next door is one of the best in the city but, that's not saying much tbh. Snobby it isn't!

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kittya · 29/01/2011 11:03

Deja. Why are you talking to me like that? As if it's my school?

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Prinnie · 29/01/2011 11:38

I don't know much about free schools etc, but in my office job I often think how much better I'd have done in school if the learning environment for doing work was like an office - you go off to a large room/space with projector for lessons etc, but then head back to a space (which is permenantly yours) to get your work done.

I wonder if anyone will model a free school on this?

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dejavuaswell · 29/01/2011 13:36

I asked those key questions because any parent thinking of signing up to a free school would ask them. It might not be the premises that are the issue.

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noblegiraffe · 29/01/2011 13:59

That sounds like this school Prinnie

Closed down after two years because no one wanted to send their kids to it.

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kittya · 29/01/2011 16:38

I wonder if there will be any interest? I can see my friends reluctance but, it's worth keeping an open mind? No headmaster announced yet. How do they select the children if they only want ones that plan to go to uni?

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AMumInScotland · 29/01/2011 16:57

It will need some distinct "selling point" to get applicants. It's all very well saying they want all the children to go to university, but they won't have any statistics to show whether they are any better than other local schools for several years. Chances are, if they don't get many applicants, they won't be able to be selective (are they allowed to anyway?). Until they have a head teacher, its hard for anyone to get a feel of how the place will actually be run.

So parents have the choice of the existing schools (good or bad, they know their figures and can meet the head, see the teacher, etc) or risking their child's one chance at education in a place that has no track record and no head they can meet to be "sold" the idea by. Unless the other choices are poor, its not a bet I'd be willing to make for my child!

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Talkinpeace · 29/01/2011 18:56

Prinnie,
I am amazed at your comment.
You seem to have completely forgotten that school is about learning and sharing and enjoying
e-duce : to lead out

and school till 5pm
sad pushy parents who want their children to fit around their work

up to the age of 9 at least, children are learning how to be people
they are not exam robots
and what is so great about University?
What if one of your DCs wants to be a racing driver or a pop star or an athlete or an entrepreneur
will you still make them do business studies at an RG Uni?
Sad and Narrow minded

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kittya · 29/01/2011 21:18

I can understand my friend's apprehensions and, hopefully, there wont be any what ifs? The schools locally arent that great to be honest and the ones that are tend to be very oversubscribed but, if this free school, is using the space/equipment of the comprehensive next door I wonder how this will affect the children at that comprehensive.

What if the government changes again, will free schools be out?

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Prinnie · 29/01/2011 22:37

Talkinpeace, I don't think I've forgotten that - in fairness I was briefly outlining what was merely a thought in my own head! There could easily be as many opportunities for sharing learning etc.

Although from my experience of school (only 10 years ago) I was constantly bullied by peers throughout lessons - not much enjoying and sharing going on there I assure you, just abuse.

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Prinnie · 29/01/2011 22:40

Nobelgirraffe - not what I had in mind at all really. But as I said - it's just a random thought I've had when I've been enjoying the way I work now, not to be taken too seriously!

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feynman · 30/01/2011 01:49

Are you talking about a school in Hull by any chance?

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feynman · 30/01/2011 01:56

And I meant to say the biggest issue may well be getting decent staff. A lot of good teachers in the state sector will not want to leave the relative security of LEA employed work to take up posts in an unknown entity (unless of course it is worth their while). I would think the satffing situation will be a million times more improtant than the environment. A good teacher will inspire pupils despite the surroundings, whereas a state of the art building will not make a bad teacher inspiring, no mateer how good it is.

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kittya · 30/01/2011 07:22

Yes, I am. What do you think to the idea?

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Talkinpeace · 30/01/2011 17:22

kittya
where I live, we are on the verge of an academy school being forcibly shut down by the government - the LEA having rightly said 'bog off'
when 'free schools' turn out to be as deluded as academies do not expect taxpayers to pick up the slack

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midnightexpress · 30/01/2011 17:28

'Wanting every child to go to university' - what a crap goal for a school. Quite apart from the fact that many children would need to get mahoosively in debt in order to do so. But that's a whole other story...

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KatyMac · 30/01/2011 17:32

Log cabins work out pretty much the same cost as prefab (unless you are going very second hand)

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freerangeeggs · 30/01/2011 17:41

What an odd goal for a school! What if the kids don't want to go to uni? What about SEN kids?

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