Toby Young is bragging about his "free school" in todays Telegraph. Any independent opinions?

Good on him - have nothing but praise for someone who gets off their butt and does something to try and make the world a better place. I , for one, will be applying.

I mentioned this on the other thread, but I don't get his obsession with Latin as if it is the be all and end all. Both my kids do Latin in their state schools (quite common in London) as I did in my Hammersmith school many years ago, but the schools don't feel the need to go on about it the whole time.

At the moment Toby Young has a school of 120 year 7s, and nothing else, I think? So might be wiser for him to be a little less boastful just yet.

There's another thread about Toby Young in "Education" commenting on his lack of understanding of Special Needs children.

I think a year is too soon to be bragging about success to be honest.

It strikes me that there are Ofsted Outstanding schools in Hammersmith and Fulham that people get very snobby about and I feel quite annoyed at the attention and money lavished on this one for political reasons, when local budgets are being slashed. The new Hammersmith Academy is very close as well.

As far as I am aware Toby Young himself lives in East Acton and thought there was a shortage of schools there?

Is there really a shortage of places in Hammersmith? I live in a neighbouring borough and the kids who can't get in here seem to go to Fulham.

A friend whose son went there says it has surpassed all her expectations and he loves it. It was not her first choice school, so for her it was a leap in the dark. She does not live particularily near either...She only applied for state secondaries, and would never have considered sending him private, if that is of any consequence.
At the moment it is very oversubscribed but as places are allotted in lottery system within geographical bands, there is a chance for children who do not live locally (relatively affluent Hammersmith) to go there.
I am putting it as one of my choices for dd next year, thanks to the feedback from this Yr 7.