Parent support needed for Fulham Boys Free School
Tuesday January 31, 2012
A group of Fulham parents is seeking local support to set up a new Church of England free school for boys aged 11 to 18 years in the borough.
School organisers will be submitting their proposals to the Secretary of State for Education next month and parents are being urged to register their support now.
If successful, the secondary school, based in Fulham, would open in September 2013 with its first intake of Year 7 boys.
The Fulham Boys School organisers say they aim to provide an outstanding, enterprising education for boys, set within a framework of Christian values and striving for academic excellence
Alex Wade, chairman of the group, said: “From speaking to parents locally, it is clear there’s very real demand for more choice at secondary level, for boys in particular. Fulham hasn’t got a secondary faith school for boys, other than the excellent but heavily oversubscribed Oratory School, and our ambition is to fill this gap with an outstanding school, with inspirational teaching planned specifically to bring out the best in boys.”
Whilst the plans are for a Church of England school, organisers are actively encouraging support from across the community. Their vision is for a truly inclusive school with at least half of the places each year open to applicants of all faiths and none.
Jonny Ambrose, one of the school’s sponsors, said: “We know the funding for new free schools is tough, and while we’re confident in the strength of our proposals we are going to need your support to persuade the Department of Education that a Church of England boys’ secondary school is needed and will have a positive effect locally.
"We won't be able successfully to create Fulham Boys School without your help. In particular, we need to prove there is a demand from parents of current Year 5 and Year 4 boys - moving to secondary school in 2013 and 2014 respectively.”
The council’s cabinet member for children’s services, Cllr Helen Binmore, added, “Free schools have proved extremely popular in the borough with lots of applications for the two free schools we already have. As a council we are giving our full backing to free schools. We believe every child deserves a top quality education and these initiatives give parents even more choice. If you are interested in sending your child to the kind of boys school being proposed, now is the time to register your support.”
Visit the Fulham Boys School website (opens new window) to register your support by 15 February 2012.
