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Free Schools in Plymouth

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Free Schools in Plymouth

It’s always a difficult decision finding the right Plymouth school for your child and with the multitude of establishments available these days including  Plymouth state schools, academies, Plymouth grammar scools, independent, faith schools in Plymouth and now "free schools".

There has been much talk about the new initiative put forward by education secretary Michael Gove.
There are concerns that they will only be set up in middle-class areas, which has led to some teachers voicing their opinions that the education in poorer areas of the country will be harmed.

Although the education department say the system is a robust process and all the applications they receive will dealt with on their merit, it is difficult to imagine them saying anthing else.

With all the Free Schools opening for the first in 2011 - there's certain things you may need to know about Free Schools;

(1) Free Schools are state-funded but independent of the local education authorities.
(2) Free Schools in are non-profit making.
(3) They can be a primary or secondary school.
(4) They can be set up by universities, businesses, charities, teachers or parents providing there is enough demand.
(5) Free Schools will inspected by Ofsted as do other schools in Plymouth.
(6) The school must include at least five pupils aged 5 or over.
(7) They don't have to follow the National Curriculum but must have the core subjects of English, Maths and Science.
(8) Free Schools cannot be academically selective like Grammar schools in Plymouth and have to take part in the    admissions process run in their area.

USA and Sweden have initiatives similar to Free Schools. In the United States they are known as Charter Schools and there is some evidence from studies by Harvard and Stanford professors that they improve attainment.
If you are considering sending your child to a Free School in Plymouth or perhaps setting up a Plymouth Free School then you may want to visit New Schools Network (NSN)  newschoolsnetwork.org
New Schools Network (NSN) is an independent charity that gives advice and guidance on how to set up successful schools in Plymouth and the UK. They say that it will improve standards across the country, especially in the most deprived areas.
Their aim is to improve the standard of education in Plymouth and other towns and cities, particularly for the most deprived areas of the UK and believe they can achieve this by increasing the number of independent schools in Plymouth and the rest of the country within the state sector.

They state that large number of parents cannot get their child into good Plymouth schools and for those who cannot afford a mortgage in the right catchment area, let alone school fees, options are limited.
They believe those parents deserve a choice. Groups of teachers, parents, organisations and charities should be allowed to set up  free schools with to offer what parents demand for their children’s education. NSN say headteachers should have the flexibility to do what they believe works – it could be a matter of smaller class sizes, strong discipline, or longer school days.

 


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