Free School News

Early March

The writing is on the wall.  Schools are probably going to close so we need to prepare.  

I tell staff to start preparing material which could be done remotely – "snow day" work.

Schools are, and will remain for some time, centre stage in the nation’s mind. Through partial closure to wider reopening, the magnificent job being done by leaders, teachers and support staff has been in the spotlight, reminding parents and the public alike just how vital schools are to their community. Coupled with this is upheaval to many people’s lives which has brought with it space to reflect on how and where we work and contribute to society. Given the ease of recruiting virtually, these circumstances lead to a great opportunity for boards to secure new trustees.

“The Government’s announcement of £1billion in funding to address the impact of coronavirus on children’s learning is very welcome. Pupils not in school nor able to access learning remotely face a legacy of widening inequality that will be felt for years to come.

“The findings of this report confirm our fears that school closures have disproportionately impacted children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“According to the report, just under a third of pupils from a deprived school have returned their last piece of set work, in comparison to their peers in more affluent areas where around 49% of pupils have submitted work.

Dear Ms Howard,

Thank you for your letter regarding the model which will be used for providing students with calculated grades for GCSE, AS and A level qualifications this summer. We appreciate you responding to our recent consultation and writing to us to share information about the centres in your network.

Our last blog highlighted how free schools have successfully adapted to the daunting situation the education sector finds itself in. The hard work of many free schools during this pandemic has demonstrated why they exist in the first place – to provide better opportunities to children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Community and innovation are two of the defining characteristics of the free schools programme, and this has never been more apparent than during the current COVID-19 pandemic. Since schools have closed to the majority of pupils, free school leaders and staff have been going above and beyond to provide for their pupils and communities, and they are building firm relationships along the way.