Headteachers warn on free school impact on ‘vulnerable’ - ARK dismisses fears from new primary academy
Published: 11 February 2011
by JOSH LOEB
HEADTEACHERS in north Westminster have warned that “vulnerable families” could be harmed by a new free school set to open in Queen’s Park later this year.
The ARK Atwood Primary Academy is set to open in September in Third Avenue, off Kilburn Lane, where it will be based for a maximum of two years before moving to longer term premises.
ARK Schools – a charity founded by hedge fund multi-millionaire and philanthropist Arki Busson – said it wants to “provide more reception places to meet demand”.
But Angela Piddock, headteacher at Wilberforce Primary School in Beethoven Street, said there was no shortage of school places in the area and that the new school could have a harmful impact on schools already there.
She said: “There is a school shortage in Westminster but not in this area. We don’t have a long waiting list for reception children.
“We weren’t told about the new school until it was a fait accompli so I would be concerned about knowing what is going to happen in September.”
The permanent site for the new school is not yet known – a situation that an ARK spokeswoman acknowledged was “not the perfect situation”.
Mrs Piddock said there had also been confusion about the admissions policy.
She said: “We were first told one thing which was that admissions would be based on closeness to the temporary site, and then we were told that admission would be based on closeness to the permanent site, but no one knows where the permanent site will be.
“This is an area where there are a lot of very vulnerable families.
I would be concerned about some of those families in good faith going to a new school – that’s their right – but not necessarily understanding that that’s not going to be the permanent site.
“We have a lot of families here whose first language is not English.”
Barbara Mayne, the head of Queen’s Park primary school, said she also had fears over the new school, telling the West End Extra: “I share Angela’s concerns.”
ARK already runs eight academies including King Solomon in Lisson Grove, which has been rated outstanding by Ofsted.
Its spokeswoman said there had been a positive response from Queen’s Park parents, adding: “Parents make choices already even given that Westminster has a shortage of places and is already oversubscribed. It’s not uncommon for primary schools to set up in temporary accommodation. A temporary site is not the perfect situation but in London school sites are never perfect.”
Councillor Nickie Aiken, Westminster’s cabinet member for children and young people, said: “The school will serve the increasing number of parents who want high-quality places in a part of Westminster where there is an increasing shortage of reception vacancies.”