Mostly a simple alert to:
1. DfE Press Release issued today "Prime Minister: More new Free Schools than ever before to raise standards and increase choice: The Prime Minister and Education Secretary Michael Gove today announced that 102 new Free Schools have been approved to open in 2013 and beyond."
Of these just 5 are special free schools. That adds to the 3 special free schools due to open in September 2012. Does anyone know how these are doing?
2. There's a downloadable list and a map of these 102 schools on the DFE website. I found the map also via Twitter
It seems no Free Schools are to open in 2013 in South Yorkshire, East Yorkshire, Kirklees, Wakefield, North Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire.
Paces' Trustees, ManagementTeam and parents will be considering in November whether to make a fresh application in 2013.
LATER EDIT:
The 5 Special Free Schools are
- Churchill Special Free School, Suffolk
- Education Village Trust Free School, Darlington
- St Mary Magdalene Academy Courtyard, Islington, London
- The NAS Thames Valley Free School, Reading
- The St Marylebone Bridge School, Westminster, London
I cannot find any of these schools via a simple Google search, suggesting they do not have their own websites.
It is not possible therefore to learn whether any of these schools are for children with physical disabilities, motor dysfunctions, neurological impairments etc
The Education Village Trust Free School, Darlington, would appear to be part of the Darlington Education Village.
St Mary Magdalene Academy Courtyard would appear to be part of or share premises with or attached in some way to St Mary Magdalene Academy, Islington.
From New Schools network, you can learn that:
The NAS Thames Valley Free School, Reading is "an all through day school based in Reading designed to serve pupils across the autistic spectrum. The group behind this proposal are drawn from the National Autistic Society and include senior leaders from existing special schools".
The St Marylebone Bridge School, Westminster is "a secondary school which will partner with the ‘outstanding’ St Marylebone CE School and build on the existing school’s SEN specialism to serve pupils with ASD and SLCD. It has the full and enthusiastic backing of the school’s staff and Westminster LA."
Of Churchill Special Free School, Suffolk, I can find nothing.
Maybe the local papers will carry something tomorrow?
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#freeschools and #CondEd are twitter hashtags
Find me on twitter as @PacesCEO
