Been offered brand new free school or last choice

[Lazymama2]

We're not sure what to do as have been offered a place at a brand new school which is with walking distance but has not been 'fitted out' yet (buildings are there). There is very little concrete info on term dates, start and finish times, curriculum and obviously no past performance on which to base a decision. Also no older kids to look up to. Other school is our last choice and has improved from satisfactory to good. DH does not want Dd to go to this school and would prefer private. I, on the other hand, quite like idea of a brand new school.

Thoughts/ideas anyone?

PS please dont turn this into a debate of state vs. private as I believe every parent does what is best for thier child/family circumstances and im not for/against one or the other.

For any one considering a new Free School anywhere a rather disturbing story in the press:

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/stockport-technical-school-shutting-early-9185050

Its about a 14 to 19 Free School which did not recruit enough children and is now announced its shutting THIS JUNE halfway through some childrens two year exam course. The organisers say its all the Education Funding Agencies fault for pulling the plug.

@Pythagorous

Thankfully recruitment of children doesn't seem to be a problem at WPS. From what I've heard, there are waiting lists for the September reception and Year 1 classes.

"so far as you know"

But is this a repeat of last year when we kept hearing how "overwhelmed" "oversubscribed" and "popular" a school is, which whatever the figures (which WPS posters actually never disclose,) it is still admitted that there are vacant places in last years reception, next years, year one?

This announcement just made by Whitehall Park School

"Buildings Update

The Trust can confirm that the planning application for Whitehall Park School was submitted to the London Borough of Islington (LBI) on 13th March by our planning advisers. This was strictly in line with the original timescales provided to achieve the hand-over of the building in January. Since the application was submitted, due to various unforeseen circumstances, the authority has not yet been able to Validate the submitted planning application meaning that the process of determining the outcome cannot begin.

We are therefore waiting for the validation of our planning application by LBI and as soon as this is undertaken we will let you know."

According to a post I have just seen on the Local Schools Network Islington Council have just announced:

"it is unlikely that the planning decision for the new school on the site of the former Ashmount School will come to planning before September”

www.localschoolsnetwork.org.uk/2015/01/whitehall-park-school-a-lack-of-candour-a-delay-and-a-general-election/

I do wonder, in that case, where the children going into reception this September will be taught.

Not RTFT so apologies if this is already covered here but ... I saw a planning notice up outside WPS saying all comments had to be in by mid-June- I think 19th maybe.
I will try to find the application online to have a look at what is proposed and will post up the link here if I can find it.
Knowing nothing about the planning process though.. I may be some time. so if anyone else has got the link that would be helpful

Ok so simplest way I found to search for plans was to go to WPS school site and follow link and instructions given in 'update 9' in right hand column on home page. Planning applic is Open for comments until 29 June. Don't do as I do and try to view from your phone- impossible to navigate the planning site!

The derogatory remarks about Whitehall Park School are unfounded. The staff are well qualified,the curriculum excellent and the Head teacher is dynamic and a Super Head. The school is now oversubscribed for the coming year September 2015 and if you have been offered a place I would strongly advise you consider yourself fortunate. All the parents and children at present supporting this 'new' school are delighted to be there. I have trained teachers on PGCE courses and been in many different classrooms and schools. This school has the hallmark of an excellent school.

@kandinsky

Welcome to Mumsnet! ( I see it is your first post). Can I suggest that it would add credibility to your post if it were not merely a set of assertions with no evidence as to how you know what you say...

Also I dont actually recall seeing any derogatory posts about teachers at WPS on this thread. That the sponsors of the school Bellevue Place Ltd have been less than honest with parents on a number of points is quite another issue...

Yes, the teachers and leadership are wonderful. Why not pop along to our Summer fete today from 13:00-1700 to meet them?

@ LocalMummyPerson

I think the deadline for responses on planning is actually 18 June, earlier than you thought.

I have done a cut and paste from the latest WPS newsletter - I am on their circulation list - which gives information about the planning application.

"Accessing Plans

The following link will take you to the application on Islington's website

www.islington.gov.uk/services/planning/applications/comment/Pages/planning-search.aspx?extra=9#header

Please type either the school postcode – N19 3BH or the application reference number (P2015/1089/FUL) into the search box. This should take you directly to the Whitehall Park School plans and you should be able to view everything there.

Leaving Comments

Any interested party is entitled to leave comments. Should you wish to leave any comments about the planning application, there are two ways to do this – on the website or via email. You should be able to leave comments by following the instructions on the planning website and submitting your comments through their “comments” page. If you are experiencing difficulties leaving comments via the Islington Planning Portal, please email your comments directly to:-

Sally Fraser (Case Officer) – [email protected]

In your email, you will need to make reference to the planning number - P2015/1089/FUL. You will also need to provide your full name and address for your comments to be validated. Please do read the Islington planning website for further information regarding the types of comments you may want to make. The deadline for submitting any comments is Thursday 18th June.'

"the school is now oversubscribed for the coming year September 2015"

In my experience Islington and Haringey admissions are pointing people who haven't got their kids into any other schools in the area towards WPS. That's why it's oversubscribed but not by much and it certainly doesn't have a waiting list as long as Ashmount.

Anyone know what happens next about the planning application? Nothing I can see mentioned on WPS website.

It is expected that the planning application will now be heard in September.

Basically the application was put in too late for it to be taken before then.

Ah ok right then. Thank you.

nlondondad,

According to the website of the company doing the work they expect to get planning permission in August.

"A planning decision is expected in August 2015 with the proposed opening date for the new school Easter 2016."

www.extraspacesolutions.com/our-company/news/2015/5/27/extraspace-awarded-the-contract-by-the-efa-to-build-a-landmark-new-school-for-whitehall-park-primary-to-replace-an-existing-locally-listed-school-in-islington

Pythag

I am afraid this is another in the long list of examples of overpromising and underdelivering in this project. Not such a big example this one, as its a slippage of only a month in this case, but I assure you that the planning application is scheduled to be heard at the planning committee meeting on the 8 September 2015. The planning committee does not meet in August. For obvious reasons.

Worth noting that earlier in this thread parents were being categorically promised a NEW BUILDING by September 2015.

Some not exactly positive remarks about Norfolk House School have appeared here:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/primary/1092890-Norfolk-House-School-Muswell-Hill

The connection with Whitehall Park School is that Norfolk House is one of the for profit schools run by Bellevue Ltd who, now also run some Free Schools including WPS

It has just been reported on the Local Schools Network web site that due to delays on the part of Bellevue, who appear to have found some issues relating to the planning application more complex than they expected that the planning application will not now be heard before the 13 October 2015. So that another delay of over a month. Which makes it a total slippage of just over two months since the last published WPS schedule, to the effect that the new building would be ready for the start of Summer term 2016. Clealry it wont be now.

No mention of this on the WPS website. I wonder have parents at the school been told?

The following announcement has just been made in the Whitehall Park School Newsletter to parents.

"As you may have been aware the planning committee date scheduled for the delivery of our new school was expected in September 2015. Unfortunately, following a meeting on Friday 31st of August with Islington Council, it was confirmed that the committee date will now be October 2015.

One of the reasons for the rescheduling of the committee date is enable us to deal with matters in advance of the committee meeting, rather than dealing with them afterwards but before any works start on site. This means that once we have received the green light from the committee, work on your new school should begin without delay.

The construction method to be used has been selected due to its speed and once demolition has been undertaken you will see progress being made very quickly. This being said there will be some impact to the opening date of your new school, although every effort will be made to and complete the build as soon as possible in advance of the new academic year in September 2016."

Is there any update on all of this?

Yes they got their planning permission at the October meeting. So I presume we can expect the site to become a building one soon. So that gives them about nine months to complete the build to move in at the start of September 2016....

Then the building of the new housing on the other half of the site (where their portocabins are now), will start. That work is expected to take 18 months. So the children will cease to share their school with a building site about March 2018. Assuming this timetable holds.

My 4 year old would be THRILLED to have building on the school field. I hear good things about Whitehall Park School on the grapevine.

Has there been any investigation/discussion of precautions to safeguard the children's health while all these works are going on? I don't like the idea of my child being on a building site day in day out for hours each day. I would be keen to know if there are measures in place to minimise exposure?

To be fair, the only things I have heard about the school from local parents has been excellent.