labourinwandsworthA free school being set up by the Tories’ star teacher, Katharine Birbalsingh, will not open this year as planned. Birbalsingh gave a blistering speech to the Conservative party conference in 2010 in which she attacked dumbed-down standards in exams and “chaos” in classrooms. She illustrated her speech with pictures of pupils at her then [...]
Labour Councillors are backing proposals for a brand new primary school that would be run as a free school sponsored by the hugely popular and successful Graveney School. The new school would be based in Franciscan Road and would open in September 2013. It would be located in the former school building, now known as [...]
As local councillors we have thought long and hard about the issues raised by the proposed new ‘free’ school in Tooting. Graveney councillors have been to the consultation meeting and spoken to local residents, parents and businesses in the Trident centre. We recognise and respect the desire of local parents for more school places. Local [...]
By Daniel Boffey, The Observer Saturday 21 January 2012 Katharine Birbalsingh, the teacher described as a Tory darling for her attacks on state education standards, is at the centre of a dispute over her plans to open a free secondary school with a “private ethos” in an area of south London desperately in need of [...]
Labour expressed concern over two key Tory policies at last week’s council meeting and drew attention to cuts in provision for single homeless people. In the housing debate Tony Belton, Leonie Cooper and Peter Carpenter raised their concerns about the Government’s plans to move Council tenants to fixed-term tenancies, arguing that it would have little impact on the [...]
Wendy Speck, Wandsworth’s Labour Group’s new speaker on education has criticised Tory Leader Ravi Govindia’s economically unrealistic plans for “five or six” new free schools in the borough. Cllr Speck, a former headteacher, said “The Tory Council has already voted to spend £13 million for one ‘Free’ school site. This is not good value for [...]
