The two key figureheads for Rivendale Free School are Mr James Woods and Mr Richard Ewen.

Mr Woods is Managing Director of Schools Plus, a service which sells to and manages services for schools.   Mr Woods says he is driven by a desire to give to his local community here in Hammersmith and Fulham.  To our knowledge, Mr Woods has not been involved in schools in any other way than via his business, nor has he volunteered or ever visited a local school.

Mr Woods was covered in September 2010′s edition of  Teaching Expertise , quoted as saying  ‘I’m very keen to collaborate with other local schools. I wrote to them all and described what we had planned and the reasons why. The response has been extremely positive. Headteachers recognise the need and support us. I’ve had some encouraging letters back. I believe that we can work together and with the LA too.”

Mr Woods told PACS that he had indeed made a goodwill gesture introducing himself and his intention to all local heads in a letter dated in the summer of 2010. However, he said that just one Head had responded - in a brief and courteous way.  After Rivendale announced the proposal for Milson Road, this Head invited him to meet himself and the other local Head and their Chairs of Governors.  Mr Woods declined  to meet them until after the difficulties faced in Rivendale’s first consultation.

Mr Ewen is the former head at Islington Arts and Media School and has come out of retirement to help start Rivendale free primary school.  Mr Ewen previously seemed to have many misgivings about local school changes and openings near his former school.  He was reported in the Islington Tribune 16 May 2008 to claim that

‘his school is being punished because the council has allowed too many secondaries to open in Islington.’    

Mr Ewen seemed to value his school as a good and rapidly improving school and indeed it appeared to be the case.  He seemed deeply concerned about the impact of these activities upon his school at the time. So why is it that Mr Ewen suddenly seem to thinks free schools are good to be involved in?

There is also controversy about the potential exclusivity of their free primary school covered in the TES article ‘The same but different’ :

The group is also aware of claims that free schools are exclusive: run by the middle class, for the middle class. “It is quite clearly a risk of the free schools policy,” admits Mr Woods, while Mr Ewen believes it is an “almost inevitable part of the policy”.

Despite this, both remain “apolitical” and say they are determined to make Rivendale work without being exclusive. “We’re looking to be responsive to the needs of the community,” Mr Ewen insists. “Parents can make it exclusive. If you can make it inclusive, that would be great.”

It would be a requirement of any school with fair admissions run by the local authority.  However, the Schools Adjudicator, who hears out admissions complaints, has just announced stepping down – and a new admissions policy is due to be created.