Thanks to Amy McCulloch for this latest update on behalf of The Sylvan School. Ed
A community group is proposing to open a new primary free school on the Island in September 2015.
If approved by the Department for Education, the Sylvan School will open with Reception, Year 1 and Year 2, with 14 children in each year group. An extra year group will be added in each academic year until the school reaches its full capacity of 98 pupils in 2019.
A real choice in your child’s education
The Sylvan School will offer Island parents a real choice in their child’s education, offering a different style of learning where 50% of school time will be spent outside the classroom.
Experienced and specially trained teachers will make use of the Island’s amazing natural resources to bring learning to life and nurture children’s natural curiosity about the world.
Forest School ethos
Making use of alternative educational approaches and incorporating the Forest School ethos, staff and children will develop a bespoke curriculum to preserve the love of learning and encourage children of all abilities to play an active role in their community.
Children at Key Stage 1 will follow a child-initiated curriculum, as they reach Key Stage 2, the emphasis will shift to a project-based curriculum, whereby children’s learning will address real local and global issues, rather then being broken down into distinct academic subjects.
Positive outcomes anticipated
The Sylvan School will be subject to OFSTED inspections on the same basis as mainstream schools, and the proposers are confident that this style of education will improve outcomes for all children, particularly those who might struggle in a more conventional classroom environment.
The vision
The Sylvan School vision came from Alex and Jenna Sabine, of the Playroom nursery in Ventnor.
“We have had the idea for this school for about ten years now and since sharing the vision with others, we have been overwhelmed by the amount of support we have rapidly gained!”
The group has now developed to include current and retired primary school teachers as well as experts in child development and Early Years education. The New Schools Network has identified the group as having real potential to succeed, and in March accepted the Sylvan School on to its specialist Development Programme, which provides access to specialist support and advice beyond that which is generally available.
Natalie Evans, NSN Director, said
“The Development Programme has been designed to help support each group in making their vision a reality, and I am delighted to be welcoming the Sylvan School onto the programme. We look forward to working with them as they develop their plans in more detail and work with their local community to gather support for their proposed new school.”
Strong interest
The Sylvan School vision has clearly struck a chord with Island parents – in just one month 120 children have been registered on the Website!
Expressions of interest are non-binding, but in completing the form parents are confirming that if the Sylvan School opens as planned, it will be their first choice for their child’s education.
Those already received have come purely from word of mouth and a Facebook page, which directs parents to the website to find out more and to register their interest.
Awareness raising events
A range of events will take place from now until the application is submitted to the Department for Education in September 2013, to spread the word amongst Island families and promote the vision as widely as possible.
Sylvan School volunteers will staff stalls at local shows and other events. In addition, small local meetings will be held around the Island, promoted through Children’s Centres and toddler groups, where parents can meet and ask questions of the team directly.
Island-wide entry
Although no location for the school has yet been decided, it is intended that children from all over the Island will be able to attend. The team is working to develop a strategy to help transport children to the school via minibus where necessary.
The Sylvan School team intends to prioritise applications from children who are entitled to the Pupil Premium, as part of the rationale for the school is to tackle issues of social inequality on the Isle of Wight.
Find out more
Parents are encouraged to visit www.thesylvanschool.org.uk where they can find a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section and more about the inspiration behind the vision.
They and other community members can also contact the team directly via the Facebook page or by email: [email protected] with any questions, comments, or offers of practical support!
