Mark Lehain, Interim Director, said: “We know that with a rising school population we will need more school places across the country, and free schools are the best means of meeting this need. They are the most cost effective way to create new school places, and are on course to provide more than 400,000 places in areas of need. Without free schools these places would be created by expanding existing schools, placing further pressure on schools that are already at capacity.
Free School News
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Free Schools in the media
Free Schools in the media
Fri 21 September 2018
Oasis Academy Silvertown has received a grant of £15,000 to purchase musical equipment. They plan to buy electric guitars, violins and a loop pedal, as well as specialist staff to lead lessons. The grant came from Restore the Music UK, who offer grants to deprived schools. The school, which plans to move to its permanent home on North Woolwich Road in 2020, has welcomed the grant. They have faced considerable challenges to their music programme due to planning delays.
Fri 21 September 2018
Despite knowing that Ofsted would be visiting us during our third year of opening, nothing prepares you for the phone call announcing they will be with you the next day. We had talked about the inspection at length at various SLT meetings, had a battle plan ready and a huge folder of evidence carefully labelled but as soon as we received the call all of that went out of my mind and I just wallowed in blind panic on my own for a few minutes before sanity slowly returned.
Free Schools in the media
Free Schools in the media
Fri 14 September 2018
Around 200 primary school pupils from the Atam Academy, in Little Heath, gathered for the unveiling of their new building complex, comprising of a two-storey primary school and four-storey secondary school. The brand new building is inspired by the famed Sikh Golden Temple in Amristar. The school is set to open in 2019 and will have 1,300 pupils at full capacity.
Fri 7 September 2018
I’m writing this during what is, for me at least, one of the most exciting times of the year. I’ve always thought there was something a bit special about the first week back after summer, and in recent years it’s got even better. That’s because each September we get to see the latest wave of free schools open their doors and welcome their students inside.
Fri 7 September 2018
LAE is a 16-19 free school, which opened in 2012. The school was established to increase the number of students going to university from Newham and the wider area, where typically university entry was low. The school was formed by a partnership of several independent schools, including Brighton College, Caterham School, Eton College, Forest School, Highgate School and University College School, with each school contributing expertise and staff to LAE. LAE still maintains strong links with these schools.
Fri 7 September 2018
The deadline for wave 13 is now less than two months away and the deadline for applications for the NSN Development Programme is the 14th September.
Free Schools in the media
Free Schools in the media
Fri 31 August 2018
The first stage of building work for Armfield Academy has now been completed by Conlon Construction and the school will be ready for opening on Monday. The school will be in the now refurbished former building of Anorld School, which will include a drama studio, classrooms and kitchen. The buildings on the north side of the school remain on target to be finished next year. Mr Conlon described the facilities as ‘cutting edge’. Once the school reaches full capacity they hope to teach 1,280 school between the ages of 2 to 16.
