To be pissed at people fleeing our nice primary towards the trendy free school round the corner?

[FiveRingsForDinner]

I bet they're bitching about us as much as we're bitching about them.

Did you not want to send your dc there then op?

Personally as a highly motivated parent, I would want my kids at an established school with a good reputation rather then a new experimental school, which is run by a special interest group. So unless there is something wrong with the primary, I would expect only the whiney parents too remove their kids to the new school.

Especially if anyone is intelligent enough to read about the consequences in Sweden of free schools, which are seen as a bit of a bad idea now. Although they did what the government there wanted, and provide more school places quickly and cheaply.

I think free schools are a fantastic thing, and the regular schools will have to get their act together if they want to survive.

We have had a new free school open in our town, but from what I can see it is full of 'problem' children, mainly secondary age children. I have seen them swearing at the staff and being rude ect, refusing to enter the building.

It's closer to us than our actual school, but wasn't right for my family at all.

I don't think it's sour grapes to find social segregation of 5 year olds sad.

I hate Gove

I think you are deluded GreenD

Eventually the free schools will run out of funds and all the trendy parents will be begging to get their kids back into your school again! Who would want their children to be taught by unqualified teachers with vague educational ideologies. Free schools, like academies, are just a big Tory con.

If any of you are on Facebook, I can suggest that you follow Michael Rosen (the poet) - he posts some excellent and thought provoking ideas about our current education system.

kim147 - I totally agree with you. As with everything to do with the Tories - it's all about money, not what is actually helpful to children.

I do understand what you mean fiverings, even if others are finding it difficult to grasp. I have the opposite problem in that we didn't get our very naice catchment school but have been offered one in the next town that is on the middle of a council estate and anyone would think I was sending to poor child to school in Beruit the way some of the village mothers have behaved. the school is fine, it's more mixed socio economically and it has children with SN and SEN too but I am happy with this, i don't see what the problem is at all and it's ofsted good/outstanding anyway I think it's to do with snobbery isnt it and that feeling of people judging children to be inferior and the reminder that we don't all start out on an even footing and life is harder for some people and always will be.

Free schools are an awful idea.

where do people think the money to set up whole new schools is coming from?? Whos idea was it ? with shrinking public sector budgets/ social services being slashed/ children living in poverty. So what do we do? I know set up some new shiny school for very naice middle class children with naice middle class parents with too much time on their hands.

In these parts there are a surplus of secondary school places and the local secondaries are either good or outstanding. And yet groups of parents ( and private companies) are trying to get free schools together.... from what I can see this is an ego project and to ensure their child doesnt have to mix with less desirable children ( those who would want to do more vocational courses at the current secondary school).

Rant over.

'I think free schools are a fantastic thing, and the regular schools will have to get their act together if they want to survive. ' (GreenD)

Really????? I couldn't disagree more. - About the fantastic idea thing, I mean. I think that lots of schools will be struggling financially soon because of the spend on free schools, which is in my mind criminal in an area where we already have excess school places. It's politics allowed to go mad in the education sector. I fear particularly for children with SEN.

is there any kind of "anti free school" organisation to help campaign against setting up of free schools?

I also think free schools are a great idea. If a school is so awful that local parents are forced to set up an alternative then that has to be good. It means that the awful school will either fail completely and close or be forced to improve. Free schools are the norm in Denmark and work very well.

I love that you all hate Gove so much for trying to improve the dreadful educational standards in the UK. You'd obviously much rather go back to the 'education, education, education' Blair era which did so much good that we now have illiterate school leavers as the norm, rampant grade inflation and nobody going into vocational careers because it is so much better to go to uni and study for a shite degree with zero job prospects at the end.

I've always understood free schools to be a response to low attainment and expectations in state schools. Presumably the parents who set up the free school do not think the state school does enough/provides a well rounded education/ [insert other reason here]. State schools will have to compete for students, which will hopefully drive up standards.

I don't know enough about the SEN position to comment on that. I would hope that free schools are required to take SEN children like other state-funded schools. If not, I would not be impressed.

My DS went to a state school where many parents were demotivated and the school had no expectations of them. Then he moved to a private school (cos we could afford it) where parents are very motivated and the school makes many demands of them.

Why did we change? Because we could. I.e. we had the money

These free schools give that opportunity to more parents.

Can a mainstream Free School refuse to be named on a child?s statement of special educational needs? Like any Academy, a Free School has to be consulted before a local authority (LA) decides to name the school in a child?s statement. Before naming a school, the LA has to assure itself that the school is suitable to the child?s age, aptitude, ability and type of SEN. Also, that the admission of the child would not be incompatible with the education of other children with whom the child would be educated - or the efficient use of resources.

www.education.gov.uk/a0075661/free-schools-faqs-special-educational-needs

Especially if anyone is intelligent enough to read about the consequences in Sweden of free schools, which are seen as a bit of a bad idea now. Although they did what the government there wanted, and provide more school places quickly and cheaply.

I live in Sweden and the free school system here is amazing! I work in both state schools and free schools and the quality of nearly everything is better in the free schools.

When our baby is born in December I will put his name on the list for a Montessori school, a Steiner school, an international school and a music school. We can decide when it's time for him to start school which would suit him best.

"Free schools, like academies, are just a big Tory con"

I thought academies had been around for about 10 years?

hahaha- don't worrry about GreenD... partyHQ stooge!

sovery, yes that's what makes me cross about the free school projects.

There is real need - in terms of building maintenance and class places - in existing schools. The money could be put to much better use by improving these, rather than funding someone's pet project.

It was mentioned in my sons year opening assembly this week that the same may be happening near where I like. The fantastic comprehensive secondary my son goes to will be under threat, it makes me sad too.

Can't your children go to the free school?

Why shouldn't they give the other school a try if they want to, or if they think it might suit their child better?

What makes you think they're 'bad mouthing' the old school?