AIBU to feel that Free Schools are creaming off middle-class families and creating division?

[KeepOnRockinginthefreeworld]

Name change as I've been thinking about this for a while...

We have a Free School in our area. It's generally felt to be successful, has a waiting list, and plans to expand at some point. BUT while it was founded "to create extra spaces", its intake seems to mostly to consist of children poached from the surrounding schools (the remainder are bussed in by parents from miles away). The uniform is entirely bespoke from a private school supplier, so no Tesco items, it's about £300 plus for a full set.

Now, I totally get that Free schools are there for "choice" but my concern is that this seems to be selection-by-stealth: they are trumpetting it as a "naice" school, "better" and more privileged than the local community schools (which are perfectly OK) . The parents who transfer to them tend to be the ones with money for the uniform/aspirational for the "best" for their child, and those children have a much lower level of SEN and pupil premium .....it just seems unfair to me that children in the area whose parents have low income, multiple DC, or aren't pushy don't have the same opportunity within the state sector. Everyone has the right to a good education and the Free Schools just seem like an excuse for middle-class parents to remove themselves from the mix of intake that is in the community while getting subsidised to do so.

Can I ask AIBU by feeling uncomfortable about this segregation? Is this just peculiar to the free school in our area? Are there other free schools near you where the uniform is cheap, they aren't creaming off children from surrounding school, and all children from the area are genuinely welcomed irrespective of ability and income?

[Ehhn]

Geuninely interested as don't know the answer- why don't people from non-m/c backgrounds team together? Could local govt do more to help people get involved? It seems that time and hardwork is the biggest factor rather than money.
From my own experience of teaching for a number of years in a London university with a strong access programme, there is a disparity between white w-c attitudes and immigrant w-c attitudes to education. I don't have an answer for why this is, as I personally only teach in the Eng Lit dept, but I see 1st and 2nd gen immigrant students taking up every educational opportunity out there and succeeding brilliantly. E.g. We run a teaching programme in which phd students run extra free courses for teens in non-traditional areas for university entrance. Always dominated by bright, motivated 1st/2nd gen students. Some of their parents are interested in free schools, although even amongst these parents who value education more than anything there is a lack if knowledge about how to get on and set one up. A failure to reach out? What could be done to change this?

[nlondondad]

I can only suggest that there is something seriously different about the socialisation of first and second generation immigrants from long standing working class. I would guess that the differnce between the MC and long standing working class is the MC have a sense of entitlement to be heard, and regard it as worthwhile to do things like join the residents' association, write letters to the papers and become school governors.

Many longstanding working class people, in my experience, have a degree of "learned helplessness" and an expection, for which they have evidence, that they will not be heard. They will also have had experience of various, more or less subtle, exclusion mechanisms in society aimed at the working class.

So some Free Schools require, compulsory, and expensive, school uniforms.

[nlondondad]

I have just heard that the Rutherfors House School in Balham, a new Free School, just opened, requires a winter uniform that costs 150 pounds and that there wil be a seperate, sumer uniform? Could this really be true?

[flaflafla]

Is £150 really that much to spend to ensure your child gets a good education? Clearly it's just a backdoor way of raising funds for the school, but is that really a bad thing? Why do so many parents object to spending money on their own children's education? What else would you spend £150 on? A new phone? What's more important, in the long run?

[sillyname]

It might be a family's entire budget for a week. A huge amount to those on benefits or in minimum wage jobs.
State education should be accessible to all, not just those that can afford the expensive uniform. Division by stealth.

[meditrina]

Uniform is meant to be affordable and not single supplier. Affordability can be argued over until the cows comment home. I've just googled Rutherford House and it lists a single supplier, which is just plain wrong.

Whether there is a 'need' for places is also heavily argued over. In a borough whichhad to create 80 bulge class places for 2013 admission (76 of which were immediately offered out), in a city where projected total shortfall is sent to rocket, and an area where new housing is coming on stream, many would agree that there is a need for more places. The borough however insists there is no shortfall, and some believe that.

Also, looking at the thread, either the Chinese whispers have come into effect, or schools are breaching the Admissions Code. First-come first served is illegal (though there are some limited "Founders Rights"), and the schools aren't funded in a way that will hold down class sizes. They can set an initial PAN which reflects wish for them. But a parent stands a good chance of winning at appeal up to typical class size (unless classrooms are tiny).

[EmeraldJeanie]

'Division by stealth'- I agree with you sillyname.
Free schools can spout off the right inclusive things but exclude in other more subtle ways. School for 'like minded' often means middleclass. Why bother to reach out to those with different mindset/ less engaged with education? Don't want those sort of people muddying the water.
Divisive and deeply depressing from what I have witnessed.

[nlondondad]

sillyname makes the point. if Rutherford House School is really going to require parents to spend over 150 pounds -its 150 for the winter, how much for the summer? this excludes parents entitled to Free School meals I would have thought.

[EmeraldJeanie]

It would certainly exclude me and my children not on FSM nlondondad!
I buy uniform from supermarkets and second hand uniform sales for my primary children. 150 pounds I guess is before shoes and winter coats- outrageous...

[BrokenSunglasses]

I just spent £300 kitting my child out with everything he needs for secondary school, and this is a normal state comp where I buy most of the uniform in M&S.

Having children costs money. I agree with flafla. Expecting parents to spend money on uniform is a just expecting them to fulfil a basic parenting responsibility.

[EmeraldJeanie]

Let's hope the school has second hand uniform. Let's hope supermarket non logoed tops accepted or that logos in the future can be added cheaply. Let's hope common sense prevails and cheap fleeces become the norm rather than costly, impractical blazers. Let's hope all uniform shops lose their monopoly/ strangle hold on parents..

[zower]

Not getting the uniform obsession - is the cheapest uniform really the top priority for some parents when choosing a school? strange outlook surely.

my main thoughts re. all this "choice" is that its so confusing - the different ideologies, funding, authorities etc. Enterprise secondary academies run by businesses, I mean what does that mean I have no idea. I did ask the Chair of Governors when doing secondary open days could she explain it to me and her response was "don't worry about it"

[EmeraldJeanie]

Rather than being an obsession I would say the expensive uniform example perhaps shows schools that are not in tune with the reality of peoples' lives. Or more worryingly, perhaps they are and it is a deliberate ploy to exclude certain members of the community. If it is it will be one of many other unspoken, subtle ploys.

[sillyname]

Not getting the uniform obsession - is the cheapest uniform really the top priority for some parents when choosing a school? strange outlook surely.

It is when you have very limited means. Put it with the ridiculous obsession with expensive foreign school trips and it sounds less and less like state education.

I can't afford £300 for school uniform. That is absurd and impossible for those on a limited income.

It may be my responsibility to clothe my child, but this really does weed out those who have no money for this, so those of you that can afford will not be troubled by our children.

I hate this divisiveness, sly, devious and the complicit agreement of those who can happily afford it. It stinks.

[EmeraldJeanie]

What a revolting attitude flaflafla.

[sillyname]

Fla, How dare you. I support my child to the hilt. I cannot afford silly prices for my child to attend a state school.

Smug and arrogant.

[morethanpotatoprints]

YABU

There has never been so much choice in terms of educating your dc.
Some, are only just becoming accepted as suitable choices like H.ed, or are new like free schools.
You have the choices.

[ToffeeCaramel]

Does anyone know what the admissions criteria for Wye School in Kent was this year? I believe after this year they will be required to use the normal non selective Kent Council criteria, but just wondered what they did for this year's intake?

[ToffeeCaramel]

Wye Free School

[EmeraldJeanie]

Lot of smug arrogants coming out of the wood work here sillyname.
Those parents that are engaged in the education system do have choices. Those who perhaps aren't -for whatever reason- should be supported and encouraged and not have their children dismissed from choice by the 'I'm alright Jack' brigade.

[zower]

i still dont get why people are so angry about paying for a school uniform for a few years and fuck knows i'm brassick. honestly weird.

but back to the main topic. Re. choice, not against it in principle, i just find all the different ideologies at this time an interesting, if slightly puzzling devlpmt. where i am the free school seems a mess sadly, and the "enterprise" one so basic and lacking in facilities i was quite shocked. i suppose the best one can say is "interesting times"

[EmeraldJeanie]

Actually- correction. I am engaged in the school system but still disapprove of ploys [like expensive uniform] that create barriers to education for some.

[morethanpotatoprints]

FlaFlaFla

If you think that paying £300 for a uniform will mean they go to a good school and this is how you support your child's education well, I don't know what to say and pity your dc.