Another Headteacher gone from West London Free School?

[orangecurd]

According to the Good Schools Guide, Mr Naismith 'left abruptly in May 2014'. This must obviously have been in the last few days. Do any current parents (or anyone else) know more?

[Foreveratodds]

These are some of the things Windymill has said:

• H&F need to deal with those who can't behave in the mainstream (when asked about low income parents of averagely bright, well-behaved children)

-It certainly isn't appropriate that state schools should dilute and betray those who support them most (in other words, those whose parents pay taxes deserve a better education than the kids of parents who don't earn enough to pay taxes)
-They do not have adequate provision for those who cannot cope in the mainstream. If HandF dealt appropriately with these issues the middle class parents wouldn't resort to WLFS type tactics. (in other words, all middle class kids can cope in the mainstream and are obliged to find alternatives not to mix with those who cannot cope... the lower class).

[NearTheWindymill]

foreveratodds that is a very manipulative interpretation.

Titus Is the uniform more expensive? I don't know, I'll have to Ccheck the website. Other costs - are they voluntary or mandatory? Ultimately it depends on parents' priorities.

[TitusFlavius]

Windymill, parent's priorities don't matter a damn if the money isn't there. I'm not talking about parents who decide to eat out less often so they don't need to choose between a second car and school fees. I'm talking about parents who have to budget very carefully to make sure there's always enough money left for the electricity meter.

[NearTheWindymill]

So am I Titus. There were lots of lovely girls from hard up families at dd's H&F comp., single mums badly let down and in LA housing who wanted the best for their DC and made sure they got it by thrift and working. Parents who cared and whose children weren't out and about at 9/10pm at night at 12 and 13. Those families are to be applauded.

[TitusFlavius]

And yet careful parents like those may still not be able to afford large charges (nor should they be asked to), however much they work or however thrifty they are.

[vindscreenviper]

Are you talking about 'deserving' and 'undeserving' poor NeartheWindymill?

That's a rather Victorian way of judging the level of educational opportunities that should be made available to other peoples children.

[christinarossetti]

I think hard working lone parent families would prefer not to be excluded from state schools by 'hidden' costs eg uniform, 'voluntary' donations, expensive trips than to be applauded tbh.

[NearTheWindymill]

Have checked the website. The uniform is no more expensive than any other school. The skirt for girls is £16.00 and the blazer from £37.50. DD's was £112 at a state school.

The charging and remissions policy is as is in other schools, ie, there are charges for out of school activities, music tuition and residential trips, etc. There is also remission from charges for any parents in receipt of state benefits.

I'm sorry what is the issue please. I thought for a moment that the uniform was going to be in excess of £500 and there was a termly charge of, say, £200 for other stuff.

It's no different from any other school. What exactly would discourage non middle class families to apply. Goodness me, it isn't that their children might mix with those they perceive as toffs is it? Goodness it's a two way street after all, highly tinged with prejudice and discrimination against the unknown.

[TitusFlavius]

I think that says more about the school that your DD attended than the average cost of uniforms.

Parents are also "invited" to make a minimum "voluntary" donation of £35/month by direct debit. I have also been told by parents that music lessons are also pretty expensive - more so than comparable lessons elsewhere in the borough.

Windymills, I haven't seen any prejudice against the middle-classes here. We're on mumsnet, FFS. Your comment to that end is a pretty lame attempt to derail the attention off your own classism.

[noblegiraffe]

Certainly more expensive than my local comp with its pullover and polo shirt, no blazer required.

I also see that skirts are compulsory for girls on occasions deemed formal by the Head. While finding that a bit creepy, it also ups the expense if you've got a DD who would prefer to wear trousers day to day.

[NearTheWindymill]

voluntary contribution. I'd have made a voluntary contribution of £100 pcm to dd's old school if it had delivered the standards it promised at admissions in relation to behaviour. They suggest voluntary contributions in that order too. In fact they raised the maintenance grant to £300 pcm whilst dd was still there - just.

[TitusFlavius]

That's lovely that you have £100 a month spare. Not everybody does. I fully support schools involving parents in fundraising, but just handing out direct debit forms and making parents feel pressured to pay up is not the way.

We all pay taxes for a reason, and education free at the point of delivery is one of them.

[Foreveratodds]

The extracurriculars are compulsory at WLFS and the contribution is needed to fund them. Which means the contribution is compulsory.

[christinarossetti]

Things like calling the terms 'Michaelmas', 'Lent' and 'Trinity' might be a bit alienating to non-middle class parents.

Ditto the compulsory 'extended school day' - what if you need your older child to collect your younger ones from primary whilst you're at work?

Ditto, the 'voluntary contributions' per child and the additional sports uniforms etc for the different extra curriculum activities that are compulsory.

Ditto, school meals being compulsory - if you don't qualify for FSMs and have more than one child in particular, that's a hefty bill each month.

Ditto, the uniform being considerably more expensive than that of the closest school (Hammersmith Academy).

All send subtle or not-so-subtle messages about who the school is 'for'.

[EduardoBarcelona]

This thread quoted in the guardian.
Think the term names are just archaic. And religious to boot obv.

I would be very concerned with a school with so many heads. Wonder if the governing body are either PITA or not robust enough.

[EduardoBarcelona]

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/toby-youngs-free-school-loses-another-headteacher-9326416.html


But then re reported in guardian

[CarmenP]

Christina did you not get a place at the school? Some of your arguments are completely ridiculous

[TitusFlavius]

Wow, CarmenP. Nice derailment there. So, in your world, providing a list of accurate facts about a school automatically means that the list-provider is just jealous they didn't get to take advantage of it? Well done.

[NearTheWindymill]

But they aren't entirely accurate are they. The uniform might be more expensive than Hammersmith Academy but is it actually the most expensive in Hammersmith & Fulham. Ditto the voluntary contributions - it isn't the only school in Hammersmith & Fulham to ask for them.

The schools policy specifically states that poorer families will not have to pay for a wide variety of activities. See here

www.westlondonfreeschool.co.uk/uploads/Files/Charging_and_Remissions_Policy_July_2013.pdf

[Foreveratodds]

Txs for link Windymill.
I'm sure we all hope the school doesn't fail all the lovely families and children who put their trust in it, whatever our political beliefs may be.

[LostinLondon]

I don't quite understand why there's so much negativity about WLFS here. It is obviously incredibly popular with an awful lot of parents as it is well known to be the most oversubscribed state sec in H&F. And before anyone says it, it is not just full of white, middle class kids. I recently spent a day at the school and got a very clear idea about the demographic of the pupils - a real mix, from all different backgrounds, ethnicities etc, exactly as a state sec in the middle of London should be.

[TitusFlavius]

It's "incredibly popular" because there is a real dearth of secondary school places available in that area for non-Catholic children. I personally know people who put it on the list (and who then are included by TY in his "we are vastly oversubscribed" speeches) not because they actually liked it, but because they were terrified they'd end up with no place anywhere. It's amazing what desperation will lead you to.

[dippingbackin]

lostinlondon my slight negativity stems from first hand experience of the appalling and amateur way they approached recruitment when they first opened. At the time I had reservations about it and am genuinely sorry that these reservations have come to fruition in the form of constantly changing leadership. It is not fair on parents or children who were relying on WLFS to give them a good education.

[LostinLondon]

I agree that the changes in leadership at the school would really worry me if my child was there. I don't know anything about any other staff changes. I'd be interested to know if WLFS parents felt that the standard of education at the school had been affected by the Head changes.

[noblegiraffe]

A bunch of well-off parents with political connections decide they don't like the schools on offer and so decide to start their own. Fine. The government then moves mountains and throws millions of pounds of taxpayers' money at them to enable them to do this. People are concerned.

The school burns through staff, including senior staff and three years and even more millions later, it's still not even clear where all these kids are going to be taught.

Of course this is an issue.