The third option

Like many people, I didn’t spend much time thinking about education until I became a parent. Now that I have four children, I think about little else. Finding a good primary school were I live is hard enough, but a good comprehensive is a real challenge, particularly if you don’t meet the eligibility criteria for a faith school. Given that my wife and I are committed to educating our children in the state sector, I thought we’d either have to take what was on offer or move.

Then I realized there was a third option: I could get together with a group of like-minded parents and start a school. It’s not easy, but it has been done. There are at least two examples of parent-promoted comprehensives: Elmgreen  in Lambeth and the Jewish Community Secondary School in Barnet. If it can be done in those boroughs, why not in mine?

At the beginning of September, I held a meeting at my house in Acton and invited anyone who was concerned about their children’s education to come along. I was expecting half a dozen. In the event, 45 people turned up, all of them local parents. Since then, the number of people who’ve asked to get involved has grown to 350. Out of that group has emerged a steering committee that includes a head of year at Mill Hill County School and the Director of Academic Management at Latymer Upper School. When the West London Free School finally opens, we don’t anticipate having any difficulty attracting staff because teachers will have played such a pivotal role in setting it up.

The phrase “free school” can be misleading. All it means is that it won’t cost anything to send your children to our school. The plan is to set it up as the first parent-promoted academy and, like other academies, It will be funded directly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. However, it won’t be “free” as in “no rules”. Talking to other parents, it’s clear that the vogue for progressive education has passed. Our school will be characterized by high standards of behaviour, academic rigour and a classical curriculum. Latin will be compulsory in years seven, eight and nine and, after that, if a child drops Latin he or she will have to take a modern language. We don’t want any child to get left behind at our school, but the emphasis will be on helping children get ahead.

Navigating the bureaucracy involved in setting up a state school isn’t easy, but so far the DCSF has been very helpful. Our biggest headache will be finding a suitable site in Acton and if you know of one -- or would like to get involved in any way -- please email me at newfreeschool@googlemail.com.

My eldest child will be seven later this year and the clock is ticking.

To find out more about the West London Free School, visit westlondonfreeschool.co.uk and to find out more about what Toby gets up to visit nosacredcows.co.uk.

What do you think about education in your area? Have you tried to set up a school or is it something you'd be interested in doing...we'd like to hear your thoughts...

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