to think that Toby Young is a complete arse?

[Rosebud05]

I bet the uniform is designed by Boden

Will the children be sitting gcse's as normal?

Yes, he's a right royal arse. However, I agree with some of his points but I do think the school will siphon off much needed money from other schools in the borough which are seen as outstanding.

so he genuinely wants (and thinks) working class inner city kids need to learn latin

I'm not sure anyone "needs" to learn latin. Class has nothing to do with it.

The DfE are now saying that they will rewrite the admissions code so that parents who are 'involved' in setting up free schools will get guarrenteed admission into the schools they help to establish. this is despie initially saying that free schools would have to use the established admissions code.

Some say this is fair enough because, after all, they have put in the work to establish the school so shoud be given places.

Others say that it is a way for middle class parents to divert much-needed funds into setting up their own pet educational projects to the detriment of surrounding state-funded schools.

And by the way HantsPants/Toby- non free schools also strive for academic rigour, discipline and order, so please give it a rest with all that shite.

So this 'free school' is funded by the tax payer but he gets to say who attends and what they learn?

There are lots of positive benefits to learning any language, Latin included. My preference would be for 'proper subjects' tbh.

According to his school's website, they aim for 100% of pupils to achieve +6 'proper subject' GCSEs. So that's anyone with SEN out. Dunno what they'll do with kids that aren't predicted to make the grade.

Yes, Norman. 20 charities have been turfed out of a building in Hammersmith to make way for it.

Refurbishment will be hugely expensive at a time when other state schools are having their budgets cut and let us not forget that the whole 'Building for the future' for schools was hacketed by the government almost the morning after they won the election.

SN/SEN is such a vague and subjective term as to be virtually meaningless tbh.

Fair enough, swc. Most people with SEN and plenty more besides. Although the Free School does say that it has to agree to be named in Statements, which isn't usually the case?

Wow.

And he wonders why people are irritated by his arrogance and sense of entitlement.

That wasn't how it was explained to me by someone whose child is statemented, so I'm happy to be corrected in such a charming manner.

However, my broader point about what they'll do in regard to children who aren't predicted to achieve 6+ GCSEs stands.

No, it's a very difficult time for State schools as their budgets hence TAs are being brutally and very quickly cut.

I very much doubt the free school would be populated with inner city working class kids. Perhaps inner city middle class kids.

I wish I could find the article Daisy Waugh wrote about it in The Sunday Times a few weeks ago. It made me very cross.

AH, THE DETRACTORS hhave woven their spell on you. Do you know what Fiona Millar said in opposition to it

'If it's good, then everyone will want to go.'

Er, yes, that's the whole point!!

Well if it does well (as it will be teeming with little Poppies and Giles') then all that will happen is the catchment will get smaller, house prices around will rise and do will standards as children from fisadvataged backgrounds are edged out.

It's like a school gated community.

SWC I tihnk thewre is massive potential for kids with SEN (whatever that menas) to have charter schools which would make the LEAs hide their heads in shame.

All that money, all those resources, all those staff and most are shite.

I'd bloody love to work in one. Some collaegues and I are thinking about it quite seriously.

Well you are fortunate yo be able yo choose private education then SWC.