Free schools


Attention to detail: The application process is extremely time-consuming


earlier stages before decisions could be made. So the process has naturally evolved along with the policy.” She said that groups seeking to open a free school have to have


clear educational vision and plan, and a lot of detail is required about the proposed curriculum timetable and attendance policy. Prospective schools do not need to have these strategies completely laid out but there should be some indication about how they plan to proceed. They also need to specify what the admissions criteria will be and to provide evidence that the school being set up is desired by the local community and that parents would send their children there. They also have to show that there is capacity and capability to set into


“I visited all of the prospective pupils at home to share my vision for the school


so there was no doubt in anyone’s mind about what we wanted to achieve.”


reality, which is where the role of the headteacher comes in. An early appointment will help to smooth the process and show that the school has leadership in place to take the school forward. “Prospective free schools need to show they have educational expertise


and financial experience on board,” Ms Evans said. “They need to show that they can fill in the financial template, and how much money they will require for running costs, staffing and resources. “They can’t get into negotiations about property until the school has


been approved though it is expected they will have some properties in mind. But they will need to demonstrate why the property is suitable and fit for purpose.” She said the New Schools Network provided advice and guidance to


groups – usually heads/teachers and parents – about how to proceed and what factors needed to be considered. It will also help to establish the need for a free school in the area. “We are very keen to work with and support headteachers coming


forward to open their own schools as they have the educational experience as well as leadership expertise,” Ms Evans added. “It is hard work running a free school but they will be aware of that already and the need to have commitment and a good team of people around them. “In some cases it may be teachers or deputies who perhaps want


to run their own school who come forward and we have seen many teacher-led groups. Some may feel that in the current system they


16


cannot achieve what they wanted and may have a different approach or attitude towards teaching, so their best option is to set up a free school.” Another effective way of establishing a free primary school is in


collaboration with one of the academy chains such as Ark or Harris, which already have the know-how and expertise in setting up schools. Damian McBeath is the head of the Ark Conway Free School, in White


City, west London, part of the Ark chain of academies but created out of the free school legislation. The school was set up with the cooperation of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham to meet a local demand for primary school places. “This is one way for a headteacher to become a head of a free school


and being part of a large group gives a huge amount of support and help,” he said Mr McBeath was deputy and acting head of Cypress Junior School


in South Norwood, south London, before being appointed to head Ark Conway in January this year. The school opened last September with 30 pupils. “As the leader of a school the headteacher will always have similar


responsibilities to a certain extent,” he said. “Here I am in the fortunate position to be part of a network of schools so have support from other heads as mentors and to monitor what we are doing and generally to act as a critical friend to me. “It is a mutual support network that many heads leading free schools


don’t have the benefit of. I have learned a lot from others during the set- up process and it has not been such a lonely and isolated position to be in.”


Mr McBeath said that in the run-up to opening he spent a lot of time


in other schools looking at good practice and how they were managing aspects such as the curriculum and attendance. “I had to then put that knowledge into the context of what was going to be right for the children of this school and the local area,” he said. “I visited all of the prospective pupils at home to share my vision


for the school so there was no doubt in anyone’s mind about what we wanted to achieve.” The school now operates in buildings that used to be a library and has the motto, Inspiring Excellence. There are currently 30 pupils, with 20 on a waiting list. Mr McBeath added: “Setting up a school from scratch would have


been a lot more difficult to achieve without that support and having the expertise of people who know about the legislation, building regulations and so on and I advise any prospective head to speak to as many people as possible and get them on board to ease the process.”


• Dorothy Lepkowska is a freelance education journalist.


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