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West London Free School Pupil Map – Admissions

West London Free School Pupil Map – Admissions

West London Free School Pupil Map – Admissions

A very interesting Freedom of Information Act response on the Hammersmith and Fulham website provided information on the applicants who have been accepted into West London Free School's first cohort.  When one has a look at the admissions criteria, it is hard to see how the entry cohort was created after hearing so much about ... Read More

West London Free Primary School

West London Free Primary School

Back on 29th of April of this year, @toadmeister intimated that he planned to set up a 2 form of entry primary school.  Nothing has been said since then, to our knowledge - until the publication of the Hammersmith and Fulham Council Cabinet Agenda for 9th January. There are a lot of questions to be answered, ... Read More

West London Free School 'Lower School'

Primary schools at risk

WLFS Lower School – Primaries at Risk

WLFS Lower School – Primaries at Risk

As you read  in our post about West London Free Primary, Toby Young is soon applying to open a 2 form of entry primary school (which he's calling a 'Lower School') at Cambridge Grove. Within a one mile radius there are 12  Community Primary Schools 5 Voluntary Aided Primary Schools 15 Independent Primary Schools The map below shows the relative ... Read More

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    Parent’s Alliance for Community Schools

    Supporting sponsored walk to Everest Base Camp – Funds to go to local primary school library!

    Hammersmith and Fulham parents love their good local community schools!  This amazing local parent is supporting her child’s local school library through pledges for her climb to Mt Everest Base Camp.  She leaves on 18th of Feb and you can donate and note her progress at the Mt Everest Base Camp Walk website.

     

     

    Proposed free school for sixty children to be located approximately 300 metres from a very good community primary half its size.

    The map below shows the relative locations of the Community and VA schools in relation to the proposed new free school at Cambridge Grove.

    View Primaries – 1 mile radius from Cambridge Grove in a full screen map

     
     

    We’re residents and parents who value our community and local schools highly.  We are based primarily in Shepherd’s Bush, Addison and Brook Green/Avonmore Wards of Hammersmith and Fulham.

    Addison Primary is an Ofsted rated good school, is continually improving, is famous for being the first primary in London for its Values Quality Mark, and is increasingly known for the high standards of behaviour in its pupils. Lena Gardens Primary continues to improve as well and is judged good in its last Ofsted report. Flora Gardens is a good school, exceeds local and national averages, and is a delightful small school.  Parental satisfaction with our schools is extremely high.

    There has been no objective evidence which supports a lack of primary places in this area.  We are concerned that an influx of free schools is going to destabilise our democratically accountable and well regarded local community schools.

    What is PACS All About?

    PACS supports, promotes and works to protect our local schools. We feel these schools deserve celebration and prioritisation.

    Who started PACS?

    PACS was started by a local mum whose child attends a local authority primary school.  She was worried about the impact of a free school being placed so close to her son’s school and the inevitable impact it would have on his education.  She was local and also worried about traffic and noise.  Finally, in learning about the free schools process, she grew more concerned about the lack of transparency and the questionable policy driving its development.

    Later, more neighbours and parents joined the cause and they worked to successfully defend their community from Rivendale Free School.

    What is a free school?

    A free school is a privately founded and run school but which is funded by public money provided through the Department for Education.Free Schools have to be inspected by OfSTED under the independent schools provisions. They are accountable to the Secretary of State directly, but are not accountable to the Local Authority. Community schools are directly accountable to OfSTED and the Local Authority, thereby ensuring accountability for locally relevant issues.Governing bodies of free schools are appointed by the trustees, and can include the trustees. Local Authority governing bodies are in part elected by parents and in part appointed by the Local Authority (who is ultimately accountable to the parents and community).Free schools say they are not required to follow the National Curriculum, which requires basic subjects to be taught. Free Schools are not exempt from those key subject requirements. The National Curriculum allows for innovation in how subjects are taught, so in reality all schools are free to innovate and have to essentially follow the same basic subjects.

    Free schools do not need to hire qualified teaching staff, with the exception of teachers responsible for special educational needs and looked after children. Free schools are also not required to abide by basic pay and standard conditions accorded to members of the teaching profession. Local school teachers must be qualified across the board, and they must be paid fairly.

    Does PACS oppose all free schools? Can you help us in our free school campaign?

    PACS is a local group focussed on local issues.  You can find help and support through some of the links in this site.  We comment on developments in the free schools policy as a way of informing our issues.

    Is PACS political?

    No. PACS is not political.  We are parents and residents that span all parties.

    I thought we needed new schools. Why does PACS disagree?

     There is no clear evidence of need, and the evidence of demand has been highly questionable as evidenced by the process Rivendale underwent and the lack of uptake in another local free primary. Also, the Council has not responded to FoIA requests on this simple type of data.What we know to date about the pupil population in H&F and in our area specifically doesn’t include or consider important confounders such as emigration or the possible outflow of families potentially resulting from the housing bill changes.There is already a lot of migration out of our local schools – exit interviews show this is not from dissatisfaction, but as a result of emigration out of London or out of the UK primarily. This can only increase as cash crunched families seek less costly rent.Schools in the area where there is supposed to be significant pressure for places have empty seats even at reception. A new primary free school had much less first preference demand than anticipated and we understand that was in part the reason they are being opened as a smaller school. Heads are very worried about the expressed desire to put several free schools in the area. All schools – including any free schools – could suffer.

    Who do I contact if I think you have it wrong?

     Please write to us. This is about presenting a balance to the information provided already, and encouraging people to ask intelligent questions. If we have our facts wrong, we want to know so we can make it right.

     

     

    Parent’s Alliance for Community Schools supports, celebrates, and works to protect our local community schools.

    We feel the education and life opportunities our schools offer to our richly diverse local children should be brought to the fore, celebrated and prioritised! 

     

     

    © 2012 PACS
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