Rivendale bids to open free school in Hackney
“It’s old school versus new school but how will the resources be divided? It seems our loyalties already have been,” says Hackney artist Stik. Photograph: Stik
Free school group Rivendale is eyeing up Hackney as a potential site for a free school that could open as early as September 2012.
Free schools are privately-run using money from central government. They have fewer restrictions, allowing them, for instance, to set their own curriculum, choose the subjects taught and alter the length of the school day or term.
Additional funding for every child eligible for free school meals and a predicted shortage of places has made Hackney an attractive target for free school groups.
James Woods, Rivendale’s Project Manager explains the thinking behind a proposal recently submitted to open a free school near the Hackney-Harringay border: “The trustees [of Rivendale] want to go to the areas of greatest need. Not just in terms of population pressure, but also the whole motivation of the trustees is to go somewhere we can really make a difference: the relative levels of deprivation mean it would be more constructive.”
Rivendale “only wants to go where there’s demand,” says Woods, “so the advantage we offer is that there weren’t enough places before and now there’s enough places. Simple as that – we’re going to places where there’s no other option and giving parents an option. It’s a load easier to do somewhere there’s a need.”
Instead of implementing a different teaching methodology or curriculum, Rivendale will be secular; it will begin by following the National Curriculum and adhere to existing local education authority admissions guidelines.
“Opening is challenge enough, but if all goes well and it’s popular and it starts to work, we would take the opportunity in consultation with parents to see if there are any improvements we could make. What’s an example of that? We are inclined to think that terms should be shorter holidays and shorter terms. A child learns better when it’s small bits frequently rather than big bits with big gaps because they get bored at the end of term and forget everything over the summer. It might be better to have six short terms with shorter holidays in between as opposed to three big ones.”
Hackney’s ethnic and linguistic diversity could make it a challenging place to run a school, but Woods is confident that the Rivendale model suits the borough’s needs: “Hackney has some issues that are common with other boroughs and some that are unique. The truth is that the particular sort of school we are looking at is not unique to Hackney but is a set-up that works very well in urban areas with a high level of deprivation. That’s why we are asking Hackney to choose us. The Rivendale model wouldn’t work as well in the nicer end of Stoke Newington for example.”
Rivendale’s 30 pupil classes will make it easier to get pupils for whom English is their second language up to speed, says Woods. “We’ll have a good adult-to-child ratio. Classes will be taught in English, but we’ll put in the resources to deal with the challenge of getting English up to a good level.”
Meanwhile, Rivendale has so far failed to find a site for a proposed ‘free school’ in Hammersmith and has postponed plans to open one there in September. How its plans for Hackney work out remains to be seen.
Mr Woods and Rivendale are not welcome in Hackney. Nor are ‘free schools’.
Concentrate on H&F thanks.
I thought that Hackney Council had consistently made such a pig’s ear of running education that – uniquely – schooling had been taken out of its list of responsibilities and duties; and wasn’t it told to keep its snout out of the trough?
I’m all for more opportunity to get a secular education but this Woods bloke sounds a bit dodgy, “The truth is that the particular sort of school we are looking at is not unique to Hackney but is a set-up that works very well in urban areas with a high level of deprivation. That’s why we are asking Hackney to choose us. The Rivendale model wouldn’t work as well in the nicer end of Stoke Newington for example.”
If I ask him politely, do you think he might tell me which end of my Stoke Newington is nicer?
Rivendale did not succeed in the centre of Hammersmith and Fulham because there was insufficient need, inadequate levels of real demand, and overwhelming opposition.
It is amazing – the endless spin such as ‘ 30 pupil classes’ as if this is unique – this is a limit size of all schools, and is not special to Rivendale.
James Woods also said that his business, Schools Plus, would not benefit because the business model wouldn’t fit a primary environment – for several reasons this is doubtful.
I am not sure why they feel it would be better placed in the ‘less nice’ end of Stoke Newington – except perhaps that if there are more FSM children in the catchment, they get more money per pupil. I guess the question is more along the lines of who it would work less well FOR?
I would have thought the John Lewis model would work best in a more affluent area…
During the parentsallianceforcommunityschools battle to stop Rivendale Mark 1 arriving on our doorstep, Mr Woods personally assured me that he was only interested in setting up a school in W14 and no where else, because he wanted to give something back to his local community he lives in.”
Wondering if Mr Woods has moved?
Two of my colleagues have spoken already but I wanted to simply add that it is odd indeed that Rivendale is eligible to bid for a location in Hackney for 2012 without having to re-enter the proposal process and assess local demand properly. Doubtless they will do some, as its bad business to open a school that is not well attended, but it begs the larger question about the point of schools like this in the first place. Centrally funded, centrally governed and accountable, and now a larger question than before about where the demand is coming from.
I am glad that Stephanie also commented on the 30 pupil class sizes. I know that when I was starting out on the school journey with my young one, I would have had no clue if this was great or not. It is standard. As is teaching some in smaller groups, etc…
Ask intelligent questions and demand intelligent answers!
Sub Headline: “If it succeeds Pupils and Parents can expect some radical changes?” what is this? Journalism or an advertorial? 30 children in a class is the norm and not an exception!!! If Mr Woods doesn’t know this then it is worrying – if he does then why is he pretending he is offering something new and why aren’t Hackney citizen being a bit more of an independent journalistic medium and questioning this tosh? Getting some sponsorship?
@Simon
We have not received any sponsorship for this story.
We recently published a comment piece that was very much opposed to free schools. In this interview, we gave Mr Woods the opportunity to put the case for free schools in order to achieve balance in our reporting on the issue.
You may be interested in reviewing all our coverage so far:
Plans afoot for Free School for Hackney
There is no such thing as a ‘free school’ for Hackney
Hackney MP joins row over free school
-Ed.
Cllr Alan Laing –
What if people decide to send their children to that school or are people not allowed to have a choice…
Firstly, I am no relation to Mr Woods of Rivendale.
Secondly, if Cllr Laing’s council-run schools are so great surely no-one will want to go to the new free schools and they’ll close?
It shouldn’t be for new school providers to justify themselves to the likes of Cllr Laing, it should be for the likes of Cllr Laing to justify to Hackney parents why they should sit back and take what they’re given by Hackney’s dysfunctional school system.
This is another posh boy wanting the best and giving something back Total Rubbish…
have you been on his companies web site ? Schools Plus and have a look at all the mistakes on there.
His recruitment section is a joke perhaps Mr woods need re-educating…
I think he should go back to trying to run a business, when I phoned for a job as a manager the other day (under a different name), seems I would all the profit, how does a company run with no profit??
Seems very dodgy system perhaps HMRC should have a look at it.
At least at long last the Learning Trust are putting their foot down with the useless lefty teachers. They have just sacked a headmaster from a primary school in Upper Clapton that was failing to meet satisfactory exam results. Of course lefty teachers who had an easy ride are moaning he was doing a good job and that exam results don’t matter. Tell that to the kids and their parents when they leave school unable to read and write correctly and are unemployable.