Andrew Turner the Island’s MP this morning welcomed the news that a new Free School has been approved to open in the South Wight area in September next year. The official announcement will be made this morning by Michael Gove MP the Secretary of State for Education.
Mr Turner said,
“Firstly I want to offer my congratulations to the whole team on this achievement. I know they have put in a great deal of hard work to get this far – and they know there is a great deal more to come.
“This new school will offer something very different to Island families. It is planned to be much smaller than other secondary schools on the Island and it will have a longer school day. On the other hand (although they have yet to find a building), it is unlikely to have all the facilities that a larger school will have. But the most important thing is that parents and their children should to be able to choose a school that is right for them.”
He went on to say,
“Free Schools can only be opened where parents want them – and part of the selection process is demonstrating to the Department for Education that the new school will have that parental support. This announcement proves that the team have built credibility with local families as well as with education specialists in the Department for Education. It is really exciting news.
“I hope this will also inspire other people who have alternative visions for schools on the Island to look into opening their own Free School. I will be glad to put anybody who wants to consider opening a new school in touch with the considerable help and support available to them.”
Find out more about the Community Secondary School by visiting its Website.
Image: Nelson De Witt under CC BY 2.0
