Greenwich Free School

Greenwich Free School
Established 2012
Type Free school
Headteacher Oliver Knight (from 1 June 2014)[1]
Chair Jonathan Simons
Founders Jonathan Simons and Tom Shinner
Location Adair House
403 Shooters Hill Road
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Woolwich
London
SE18 4LH
England Coordinates: 51°28′19″N 0°03′10″E / 51.47186°N 0.0527°E
DfE number 203/4001
DfE URN 138245 Tables
Ofsted Reports
Gender Coeducational
Ages 11–18
Website www.greenwichfreeschool.co.uk

Greenwich Free School is a coeducational secondary free school located in the Woolwich area of the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London, England. The school opened in September 2012 with an initial intake of 11 year old pupils (academic year 7), with the school expanding admissions every year to become a full secondary school with a sixth form.

The school was co-founded by Jonathan Simons, head of education at the think-tank Policy Exchange, and Tom Shinner, a policy adviser at the Department for Education.[2] Jonathan Simons is the Chair of Governors. The school is advised by Dr Challoner's Grammar School, where Tom Shinner had been a teacher.[3][4]

Greenwich Free School offers 100 places per year group, with 97 places being filled for year 7 in 2012.[5] In March 2013 it was reported that Greenwich Free School had received 640 applications for its 100 places for year 7 in 2013.[6]

The school operates an open catchment area, but offers places according to the Fair Banding System operated in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. The Fair Banding System places pupils in one of the five bands based on their score in tests taken in primary school. The school then allocates 20% of places to pupils in each band. In the event of over-subscription for places, priority is given to pupils living nearest to the school.[7]

Greenwich Free School operates an extended school day from 7.50am to 5.30pm,[8] which includes a homework hour and compulsory extra-curricular activities. The school also operates a strict discipline policy, which includes a ban on pupils having mobile phones on school grounds.[5]

In December 2013 the school's first headteacher resigned.[9] The first Ofsted inspection, made in April 2014, assessed that the school required improvement.[2] A new headteacher will be joining the school on 1 June 2014.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "New Headteacher". Greenwich Free School. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Richard Adams (24 April 2014). "Greenwich free school requires improvement, say Ofsted inspectors". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  3. ↑ "GFS partners with one of England's top schools". Greenwich Free School. 17 February 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  4. ↑ Richard Vaughan (14 February 2014). "Gove appoints 28-year-old adviser to £105,000-a-year senior civil service job". TES Connect. Retrieved 12 May 2014.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Greenwich Free School 'prison camp' searches for mobile phones". News Shopper. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Sarah Harris (1 March 2013). "State school scramble: 13 applicants per place as thousands set to miss out on preferred choice". Daily Mail. London. Retrieved 2 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Admissions policy for admission to Years 7 and 12 from September 2014". Greenwich Free School.
  8. ↑ Harris, John (4 January 2013). "Are free schools working?". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 3 April 2013.
  9. ↑ Richard Vaughan (7 December 2013). "Revealed: Greenwich Free School becomes latest to lose its head". TES Connect. Retrieved 12 May 2014.

External links