Why are your thoughts/experiences with free schools?

[Mrstumbletap]

Job advertised but I don't know anyone that has worked for one. Do you know anything about them?

[Piggywaspushed]

It depends on the school : much like academies, not all free schools are the same. If you do a quick google you will find out its history and should easily be able to find out whether the local community supported the bid. Heads of free schools can be egotists and often a bit either a) green around the gills and 'thrusting young males' or b) an older head parachuted in by a mate.

I have been round five with a view to applying : I only applied to two of them. The other three were in odd buildings with no facilities (not even car parking for staff in one case) and clearly nakedly ambitious heads with political or educational agendas. the two I applied for felt like normal community schools.

[hulahoops777]

I work in one - I won't say too much as we don't have a staff car park !

Really the differences I've noticed are not because it's a free school - just differences you would get between schools at secondary level anyway - size of intake/dept/cohort.

There might be some different expectations re working hours/inset etc so ask re these points.

Can you visit?

[Mrstumbletap]

Yes I have visited and strangely there was no car park.

Seems to be quite a lot of inset days, 10 across the year and long working days 8:15 - 4pm.

Also the SOW are all supplied which they said reduces workload but I wonder how prescriptive it is and how much you can defer from the script?

[Piggywaspushed]

That is indeed the sort of thing that puts me off. It's seen by some as a way of reducing workload but it also stifles creativity :(

That is quite typical of a free school. Sounds like the one in my town!

[millimat]

No car park?What has that got to do with free schools?

[Piggywaspushed]

A few of them have no car parking...I have never heard of any school without a car park apart from free schools, which is largely a by product of them being in rather odd reclaimed buildings ie not purpose built schools.

[ChipsForSupper]

I work in one. It's chaos personified - which you either love or hate. I quite like it. Under no circumstances would I send my own children to it - but, again, some parents love it.

Don't get me started on the car parking!!!

[millimat]

@Piggywaspushed why chaos? Why so different to any other school?

[millimat]

Sorry meant @ChipsForSupper

[ChipsForSupper]

Many reasons, really.

A lot of it is to do with a lack of decent, purpose-built facilities (although maybe not all free schools are in this predicament?).

Free schools are also often set up by people with good or even inspirational intentions but not necessarily the experience or knowledge to match that.

Often free schools are pulled in 2 directions - they may have their own ethos/agenda which they are trying to follow but they also have to think about all the usual league table/OFSTED requirements.

Pupil profile - many free schools don't have a 'catchment area'' so often attract an unusual mix of students (for example high numbers of gifted and talented and pupils with SEN but comparatively fewer 'average' students).

Free schools don't have to recognize union guidelines or even employ qualified teachers - sometimes this leads to good things and sometimes to bad but, either way, it generally adds to the chaos!

[Piggywaspushed]

So, for example... I have toured free schools with no library and no librarian but piles of 'donated' books in a random classroom; a free school with a high proportion of high functioning ASD and no one on staff with SEN qualifications ; several without any PE facilities at all who were promised access to other amenities which did not come to pass and some were students are taught in funny atria/ corridor things. Working in a free school, you might well - even more than in a big MAT- be at the mercy of the head's faddish or politicised thinking, or attitude towards setting by ability, homework, uniform, behaviour CPD etc. And most especially, in a newly set up one, Big Brother is able to watch you very easily and you will be expected to conform- and you are more likely to end up teaching out of specialism. And then there is the fact that the buildings -unless it is purpose built in which case it'll be lovely- often have not been designed for schooling. I am inferring that milimat doesn't see why that matters but it can affect many many aspects of worklife and t and l.

As I did say, though, some of them are community supported , perfectly ordinary comps, set up as off shoots of pre existing schools.

[Mrstumbletap]

Thank you this is really helpful. So they still confirm to Ofsted inspections and have to do all that is required for them. I think they sound quite interesting.
I don't mind a bit of chaos!

[Piggywaspushed]

Oh goodness, yes. Ofsted , national curriculum etc , as much as any school does. Free is an ideological word, rather than an actuality!

I have given up visiting most schools pre interview, as it hasn't made a difference to shortlisting, but free schools I always visit. Mainly to get a feel of how messianic the head is! I could not work for a Toby Young type or in a place with high staff turnover and lots of staff who have no teaching qualifications coupled with a high self belief and sense of entitlement and no car parking : but that is not the case with all of the schools.

As I mentioned, Google the school and its head : often enlightening.

[millimat]

Could they be forced into an academy or not?

[noblegiraffe]

Free Schools are academies, in that they aren’t under LA control. If they are crap they can be forced to close (which happens quite a lot) or taken over, just like other schools.

[Mrstumbletap]

What does the free bit actually mean then? What are they free of?

[eddiemairswife]

Free of the 'dead hand' of Local Authority control!

[Appuskidu]

Are they also ‘free’ from following the Burgundy book regulations?!

[thebookeatinggirl]

Appuskidu, yes, absolutely free, just like academies, which makes life difficult at interview. You have to be really clear and straightforward, asking about pay, timings of the day, directed hours/working hours, if there's any PPA etc And don't accept without using the phrase 'subject to me being happy with the terms and conditions of my contract' - because that will lay it all out. It's a brave new world.