Head teachers call on all political parties to continue to allow free schools to be set up wherever parents want them
Sir, We have founded or run 126 of the 400-plus free schools set up across England since 2010 and have worked incredibly hard alongside our teams and parents to make these schools a reality. We made this commitment because we believe our schools can make a positive difference to education locally. We are not driven by ideology and come from every political background and none — our common cause is ensuring that all children have access to a good school.
Our schools are already making that difference. Ofsted inspects them after just five terms and 70 per cent have been judged good or better — with a higher proportion than the national average deemed outstanding.
We are providing much needed school places, raising standards and offering parents and pupils choice. We call on all parties to continue to allow free schools to be set up — wherever parents want them — because they are helping to raise standards, especially for those most in need. Many thanks for stopping by. Before we carry on I need to say thanks to http://momreviews.net/about/ for their continued support and the support of their regional community. Having a support team like this means a lot to us as we continue to grow our very own blog.
Jenny Boyd, head, Rosewood School
Dr Sue Attard, executive principal, Hatfield Community Free School and Jupiter Community Free School
Barnaby Lenon, chairman of governors, London Academy of Excellence
Luke Sparkes, principal, Dixons Trinity Academy
Seamus Oates, executive head TBAP Trust
Janet Goddard, Headteacher, Alban City School
Carrie Matthews, Principal, Barnfield Moorlands
Brigid Tullie, Headteacher and Alistair Hartley, Chair of Governors, Batley Grammar School
Mark Lehain, Principal, Bedford Free School
Claire Delaney, Chair, Bellevue Place Education Trust, on behalf of Barnet Free Primary School
Ian Bauckham, Headteacher, Bennett Memorial School, on behalf of Bishop Chavasse School
Sacha Corcoran MBE, Principal, Big Creative Academy
Marina Gutierrez, Founder, Bilingual Primary School for Brighton and Hove
Toni Carr, Principal, Bolton Wanderers Free School
Jo Bland, Principal, Boston Pioneers Free School
Neil Blundell, Executive Principal, Bristol Cathedral Primary School
Jacqui Ford, Project Lead, Bristol Futures Academy
Anne Gouldthorpe, Deputy Headteacher, Bullers Wood School for Boys
Justine Drury, Principal Designate, Channeling Positivity
Rebecca Maxted, Headteacher and Ali Jaffer, Proposer, Chapeltown Academy
Claire Heald, Executive Principal, Charles Darwin Primary School, Jane Austen College and Sir Isaac Newton Free School
Sian Jeffreys, Acting Head of School, Chetwynde School
Keith Gardner, Lead Proposer, City Gates School
Michaela Khatib, Executive Head, Cobham Free School
Raja Miah, CEO, Collective Spirit
Lauren Thorpe, Principal, Compass School Southwark
Rebecca Williams, Head teacher Designate, Crystal Palace Primary School
Wendy Whelan, Executive Principal and Karen Hayes, Associate Principal, Derby Pride Academy
Wesley Davies, Principal, Dixons McMillan Academy
Michelle Long, Principal, Dixons Music Primary
Luke Sparkes, Principal, Dixons Trinity Academy
David Perks, Principal, East London Science School
Shabir Fazal, Principal, Eden Boys’ School, Bolton
Shahina Ahmad, Principal, Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest
Suvir Rai, Project Lead, Sarah Hanan-Bajwa, Trust Member, Jasbir Sihota, Trust Member, Kamal Kainth, Trust Member, Amrit Dokal, Principal Designate and Jasminder Grewal OBE, Education Governor, Edison Primary School
Titilayo Oluwatidimu, Director of Education, Emmanuel Community School
Joanna Wood, Principal, Essa Primary School
Phil Duffy, Executive Principal, Everton Free School
Kerry Burnham, Headteacher, Exeter Mathematics School
Russell Plester, Headteacher Designate, Finham Park Free School 2
James O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director, Floreat Education, on behalf of Floreat Alperton Primary, Floreat Brentford Primary and Floreat Southall Primary
Joanne Haswell, Founder and Governor, Forest Bridge School
Alun Ebenezer, Headmaster, Fulham Boys School
Kevin Sadler, CEO, Gateway Learning Community Trust on behalf of Gateway Primary Free School
Lea Gilbert, Head Teacher, Gildredge House Free School
Sir Iain Hall, Chair, Great Schools for All Children Trust
Graham Taylor, Principal and Chief Executive, Great Western Academy
Sally Lockyer, Lead Proposer, Grove House School
Lesley Falconer, Headteacher, Hackney New School
Stephen Daley, Principal, Harmonize Academy
James Handscombe, Principal, Harris Westminster Sixth Form Academy
Dr Sue Attard, Executive Principal, Hatfield Community Free School and Jupiter Community Free School
David Castles, Principal, Heyford Park Free School
Simon Dudley, Chair of Governors, Holyport College
Paul Weston, Chair of Governors, Hope Community School
David Holloway, Leader and Founder, Ideas College
Rachel De Souza, Chief Executive, Inspiration Trust
Stephen Boyd, Headmaster, Island Free School
Niki King, Headteacher, Ixworth Free School
Harnek Singh, Chair, Khalsa Education Trust, on behalf of Khalsa Science Academy
Rose Codling, Principal, Khalsa Secondary School
Dan Abramson, Headteacher and Alison Wolf, Founding Chair of Governors, King’s College London Specialist Maths School
Shane Ierston, Principal, King’s Leadership Academy
Dr Beverley Jacobson, Chief Executive, Kisharon Inclusive Free School
Mark Peters, Founding Member and Director, Langdale Free School
Sally Eaton B.Ed FRSA, Education Director, Langley Hall Primary Academy
Katie Parlett, Chair of Trust, Founder, Lighthouse School
Barnaby Lenon, Chair of Governors, London Academy of Excellence
Ashid Ali, Principal, London Enterprise Academy
Gillian Coffey OBE, Executive Headteacher, Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy
Richard Scott, Executive Director, Maharishi School
Mandy Southwick, Principal, Marchbank
Siobhan Easton, Headteacher, Marine Academy Primary
Richard Ardron, Headteacher, Marylebone Boys’ School
Anne Burrell, Principal, Merchants’ Academy, on behalf of Bristol Autism Free School
Katharine Birbalsingh, Headmistress, Michaela Community School
David Kelin, Vice Chair of Governors, Mosaic Jewish Primary School
Stuart Leeming, CEO, New Islington Free School Trust, on behalf of New Islington Free School
Natalie Evans, Director, New Schools Network
Palbinder Kaur Brom, Acting Headteacher, Nishkam Free School
Damien Kearns, Principal, Nishkam High School
Harmander Singh Dhanjal, Headteacher, Nishkam Primary School Wolverhampton
Terry Green, Executive Principal and Brin Mahon, Director, Nishkam Schools Trust
Lee Bergin, Headmaster, North Cestrian School
Karen Cornick, Principal, North Somerset Enterprise and Technology College
Maggie Segrove, Principal, Oakbank
Riaz Shah, Chair, One Degree Academy
Barry Payne, Exceutive Head, Parkside School, on behalf of The Wherry School
Roger Leighton, Chief Executive, Partnership Learning, on behalf of Riverside School
Johnette Barrett, Founder Principal, Paxton Academy Sports and Science
Liam Nolan, CEO and Jackie Powell, Executive Head, Perry Beeches Academy Trust
Kevin Rogers, Headteacher, Perry Beeches II The Free School
Darren Foreman, Headteacher, Perry Beeches III The Free School
Russell Bond, Headteacher, Perry Beeches IV The Free School
Kelly Luen, Principal, Pimlico Primary
Simon Corns, Headmaster, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School
Andrea Symonds, Principal, Rainbow Primary School
Jenny Boyd, Headteacher, Rosewood School
Richard Bence, Chair of Governors, Route 39 Academy
Tom Legge, Lead Proposer, Rugby Free Primary School
Neil Owen, Chair of Governors, Salisbury Sixth Form College
Andrew Howard, Principal, Sandymoor School
Rob Cawley, Principal and CEO, Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust
Darren Lyon, Headmaster, Sir Thomas Fremantle Free School
Richard Gray, Deputy Headteacher, Southend YMCA Community Free School
Nikki Hutchinson, Principal, St George’s Academy
Fr. David Stevenson, Founder/Proposer, St John’s Church of England Primary School, Watford
Steve Docking, Founder and Director, St Martin’s Academy
Angie Browne, Principal, Steiner Academy Bristol
Alan Swindell, Principal, Steiner Academy Exeter
Trevor Mepham, Principal and Guy Marson, Chair of Governors, Steiner Academy Frome
Seamus Oates, Executive Headteacher TBAP Trust, TBAP 16-19 Academic AP Academy
Nick Armitage, Interim Head Teacher, The Aspire Academy
Nigel Youngman, Headteacher, The Beccles Free School
Kathryn Cooper, Chair of Governors and Suzie Hobart, Governor, The Earl’s Court Free School Primary and The West London Free School Primary
Nichhatar Singh Kandola, Chairman, The Khalsa Academies Trust
Mark Featherstone-Witty OBE, CEO, The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, on behalf of LIPA Primary School
Nusret Ellahi, Headteacher, The Olive School, Blackburn
Jo Appleyard, Executive Principal, The Orchards
Richard Booth, Headteacher, The Reach Free School
Rebekah Taylor, Principal, The Ruth Gorse Academy
David Lees, Headteacher, The Saxmundham Free School
Tristram Hobson, Headteacher, The Swanage School
Toby Young, Chief Executive, Justin Tooth, Director and Jane Emmett, Director, The West London Free School Academy Trust
Hywel Jones, Headteacher, Ian Hunter, Chair of Governors, Professor Simon Hix, Governor and Dr Ian Katz, Governor, The West London Free School Secondary
Matteo Rossetti, Founder and Chair of Governors, Thomson House School
John Tomasevic, CEO, Torch Academy Gateway Trust, on behalf of Nottingham Free School
Ian Burchett, Principal, Trafalgar College
Jonathan Wilden, Headmaster, Wallington County Grammar School on behalf of WCGS Federation Free School
Karin Rowsell, Headteacher and Kerstyn Comley, Governor, Wapping High School
Susan Percy, Headteacher and Shelagh Keogh, Chair of Governors, West Newcastle Academy