No LA used “Tammany Hall” tricks to prevent any of the first free schools...
The first 24 free schools, wrote Education Secretary, Michael Gove, faced formidable barriers before they were established. He laid the blame at the feet of Labour politicians whom he accused of...
View ArticleLocal Government Association wants a ban on free schools in areas with places...
“The LGA wants a ban on any new free schools opening where there is a surplus of places. Most of the free schools opening this year are in areas under pressure, but not necessarily those under the most...
View ArticleGovernment can’t keep blaming Labour for school place shortages
“Migrant influx fuels new crisis in schools: Now secondary schools face ‘timebomb’ shortage of places, reveals secret report.” Daily Mail 6 September 2013 The Mail cites a “leaked government document”...
View ArticleMixed reaction to NAO report into free schools
There’s been mixed reaction to the National Audit Office (NAO) report on free schools according to Schools Improvement Net. The Times says they’re ‘good value for money’ while the Guardian reports...
View ArticleAcademy Trust not registered at Companies House gets contract to “sponsor”...
“Carillion Academies Trust is a fresh and innovative model of Trust that will combine educational expertise with business and commercial understanding.” Carillion plc announcement 17 December 2013 The...
View ArticleA brand new building or just the chance of a new boiler?
At the Hove Park School consultation events held by the Senior Leadership Team, a PowerPoint slide was shown suggesting the school would benefit from a £4 million rebuild if it converted to an academy....
View ArticleCut-and-pasted DfE press releases describe identical turf-cutting ceremonies...
‘Excited students and staff… were joined by council dignitaries, representatives from the Education Funding Agency (EFA) and the building contractor, Galliford Try, for a turf-cutting ceremony,’...
View ArticleWhitehall Park School: A lack of candour, a delay and a General Election.
Introduction I last blogged about Whitehall Park School here. I suggest you might like to read that post first, if you are new to this story. It does rather set the context; the promoters of Whitehall...
View ArticleWhat links school admissions, pixies and a semi-nude? The Durand saga continues.
It’s not often there’s a link between the Schools Adjudicator, the little people and a near naked woman. It’s even more surprising when the link happens to be a high-profile academy chain. The...
View ArticleHow to get 500 free schools PDQ. Easy, just change the rules.
The Conservatives went into the General Election promising to deliver 500 new free schools in the course of this Parliament. It seemed an ambitious target at a time of austerity when the creation of...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....