Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
are a coalition government initiative based in some part on the American Charter School model. There were 24 Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
that opened in September 2011, and 55 that opened in September 2012. The aim is to open 103 more Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
in September 2013.
Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
can be primary and secondary.Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
can be set up by charities, religious organisations, parents, teachers, if there is proven local demand. This site has a section on Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
.
- A recent study from the Stanford Centre for Education Outcomes reveals that poor students, especially those from ethnic minorities achieve particularly well in American Charter Schools.
- However, there are some important differences between the charter model, and the free school model. There have been criticisms about the lack of transparency regarding who is opening the free schoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
, why some proposals for free schoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
were accepted, and why some were rejected, and whether the local communityCommunity schools are the standard type of maintained, state school. was properly consulted.
- A Free School in England is set up completely independently of the local authority, where Charter Schools in America are set up in consultation with the local school district. There has been criticism that Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
in this country are opening without enough pupils to fill them, and they are taking away pupils from other good schools. There has been criticism that in this country, there is no system for closing failing schools, and opening Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
, like there is with the Charter School model.
How does this affect your choice of school?
- Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
are not automatically going to be better for your child than other schools, or existing neighbouring schools. There is, as yet, no evidence that they are intrinsically better than non-Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
.
- Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
are officially AcademiesAcademies are privately sponsored, but are still state schools. Previously failing schools which have closed have been reAlso known as ‘Religious Studies' (RS).
RE, Religious Education, is a compulsory subject in state* schools.-launched as Academies. Some Academies are new build with extensive resources., and therefore have many similarities; they do not have to follow the National CurriculumThe National Curriculum consists of those subjects and programmes of study that schools are legally required to provide. AcademiesAcademies are privately sponsored, but are still state schools. Previously failing schools which have closed have been reAlso known as ‘Religious Studies' (RS).
RE, Religious Education, is a compulsory subject in state* schools.-launched as Academies. Some Academies are new build with extensive resources.* and Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
* do are not required to deliver the National Curriculum., they operate independently of the local authority, they can set their own terms and conditions for staff. When choosing a school, it is therefore useful to think of AcademiesAcademies are privately sponsored, but are still state schools. Previously failing schools which have closed have been reAlso known as ‘Religious Studies' (RS).
RE, Religious Education, is a compulsory subject in state* schools.-launched as Academies. Some Academies are new build with extensive resources. in a similar way as Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
.
- At the time of writing, not all Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
due to open in September 2013 are fully subscribed. This is not in itself a problem. It might be the case that your child gets the advantage of small classes and specialistSpecialist Schools specialise in a particular curriculum area. In the past, they had to apply to the DfES* to be
designated as specialist, and they were given extra money to develop resources in their specialist area.
These schools can also prioritise 10% of their places for students with a particular aptitude in the specialism, although few do. Specialist schools are often called colleges, for example, Science and Technology Colleges. support in the early days of the school being set up. It is, however, a problem, if the school does not prove to be popular long term, and continues to be under-subscribed. In this case, the school could begin to follow a downward trend.
- If you are considering sending your child to a non-Free School, it is worth finding out if there are any Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
opening in the vicinity that would be competing for intake with the school you are considering. Some good schools are losing applications because of competition from new neighbouring Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
. It is not necessarily ideal to be sending your child to a school with a falling roll.
- The locations of Free SchoolsFree Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. At the time of writing, they are a new government initiative. Charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents can set up free schools.
are not planned in the same way as the location of schools connected to the local authority. It therefore could be the case that a Free School is opening where there are not enough pupils to go round. This means that when you are considering the right school for your child, you now need to consider what the neighbouring schools are as well. It is worth finding out whether the neighbouring schools are under- or over- subscribed, and whether the school you are considering is under or over-subscribed. See this site’s section on over-subscription.
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