Give Your Views on New Primary Free School
Earl's Court Primary to be based initially in Cambridge Grove
Parents, teachers and community groups in Hammersmith & Fulham are being asked what they think about proposals to open a new primary free school in the borough.
The West London Free School Charitable Trust has been given the green light by the Department for Education to open a third school in September next year.
The school will be called Earl’s Court Free School Primary, though it will initially be based in Cambridge Grove in Hammersmith, the current home of sister school, West London Free School Primary.
The trust also has the original West London Free Secondary School in Hammersmith – the first school it opened in 2011.
Subject to planning approval and consultation, the new primary school will move to Earl’s Court, as part of the regeneration and redevelopment of the area, where it would become a two-form entry primary. This however would not be until 2020 when the multi-million pound redevelopment of Earl's Court is due to be completed.
30 children each year will be accepted to the reception class until the school relocates to Earls Court, when the entry numbers would double to 60 children a year.
The school will provide children with a classical liberal education, focusing on a core of academic subjects complemented by art, music, drama and competitive sport.
The current schools run by WLFS Charitable Trust are both heavily oversubscribed – for the 2013 entry, 394 children applied for 60 places in the primary school, while 1,179 applied for one of 120 places in the secondary school.
Toby Young, chairman of WLFS Charitable Trust, says: " I helped set up the West London Free School because I believe that all children should have access to a classical liberal education, regardless of background or ability.
"That approach has proved so popular with local parents that my group is now opening a third school and our aim is to open a new one every year for as long as there is demand for this type of school from parents."
The consultation is open until 5pm on January 3, 2014. You can fill in a questionnaire online (opens new window) or you can fill in a paper copy using one of the consultation leaflets that are being distributed across the borough.
You can also attend an open event being held at the proposed temporary site for the school – at Cambridge Grove, Hammersmith on Wednesday December 11. There will be two sessions per evening, at 6pm-7pm and 7:30pm-8:30pm.
For more information on the proposals email : consultation@wlfs.org or visit the Ear's Court Primary website.
Meanwhile the school is now open for admissions. Parents can find out more here.
November 14, 2013
