Feature Free schools

Free schools offer parents more options, and are also challenging the industry to think differently. Elaine Knutt and Jan-Carlos Kucharek report.

A lesson in free school building

THERE’S A BI-LINGUAL secondary in Oxford, a Steiner school in Somerset, a primary school offering 8am to 6pm school days to suit the working parents of Cobham, and an academy in Warrington educating the “business leaders and scientists” of tomorrow. Among the dozens of free schools opening this September — the second annual wave of state-funded schools that sit outside local authority control — there’s certainly an educational flavour for everyone. But has the free school programme

brought diversity and innovation to the schools estate? Launching the initiative in 2010 education secretary Michael Gove promised — or threatened — converted pubs, re-purposed office blocks and an opportunity for “free” thinking for designers and contractors. The reality seems to be matching the

rhetoric. In Bradford, a free school is opening in part of Bradford City Football

Europa Free School CULHAM, OXFORDSHIRE Contractor: Kier Project manager: EC Harris

What’s on the curriculum? Since 1978 the European School had expertise in both languages and science. But with international intake reducing, and EU funding cut, from this September the school will be phased out by 2017 and supplanted by the

Club’s Valley Parade grounds, while elsewhere in the city BAM is converting a former retail shed as part of the Kings Science Academy. In Derby, Mace is converting a 1960s office block into the Al-Madinah Muslim faith school, while Carillion is converting the former Bolingbroke Hospital in west London into an Ark academy. Tight programmes are typical across all education projects, but how about a breakneck contract pace of a 10-week programme with only six spent on site, achieved with 24-hour working and hour-by-hour programming? That’s been achieved by Willmott Dixon at Oakbank Secondary in Wokingham, Berkshire, one of nine free schools the contractor is building. And we’ve seen the first example of

what the New Schools Network, the government grant-funded body set up to support free school applicants, predicts

Europa Free School. The new school will

continue teaching children aged 4-19 the European Baccalaureate with a bilingual timetable in English, French or German. One of the school’s aims is that all of its pupils will matriculate fluent in at least one other European language.

How was it built? Procured through the Scape National Minor Works

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framework, the project will involve the refurbishment of the school’s 19th century blocks. Designed, costed and procured in 12 weeks, the first phase completes this September, with phase 2 due to complete September 2013. Phasing is such that it

delivers the Europa’s primary teaching facilities in line with the progressive site-sharing agreement with the existing 700-pupil European School.

Eden Primary School MUSWELL HILL, HARINGEY Construction value: £2.8m Contractor: Rydon, working with architect Hunters

What’s on the curriculum? Peter Kessler, chair of the Eden Primary Trust, wanted to create a Jewish state primary school independent of any synagogue authority, and open to the wider community.

How was it built? Procured through the National Contractors’ Framework, Eden had a contract period of just 12 months. The design aspiration was a natural-looking building with the outside environment connecting with the interior, incorporating numerous external access points as well as several distinct outdoor learning and play areas. Rydon delivered a

turnkey package, which includes design, planning, landscaping, building work, fit-out and furniture. It also refurbished a vacant part of the neighbouring Fortismere School to temporarily house the first intake of 30 reception class pupils to the school from September 2011. The school uses a concrete

frame with western cedar cladding and shingled roof, and incorporates PV and other sustainable technologies.

could become a wider trend — a housebuilder-promoted free school to serve a new community, from Urban Splash in New Islington, east Manchester. In general, there’s evidence of a willingness to rethink what a school might actually look like — although detractors might link this to the DfE’s decision to suspend the BB98 Accommodation Schedule for free schools. “We’ve been

The project will involve the refurbishment of the school’s existing 19th century blocks