St Luke’s Church bid to run Camden’s first “free school”

Published: 12 August, 2010
by JOSIE HINTON

AN Anglican Evangelical Church in Hampstead has launched a bid to run Camden’s first “free school”.

St Luke’s Church, in Kidderpore Avenue, has drawn up plans for a new primary school with plans to have lessons in its church hall. 

If approved by the government, it would open its doors in September next year. It is hoped that by providing space for 15 pupils in each year group, the school would ease the pressure on primary school places in the north of the borough.

This year 76 children in the area were left without a school place and council officials have already forecast a greater number will be in the same predicament in 2011. St Luke’s Primary would open with one reception class, but a further 15 pupils would be ­welcomed each year until 2018.

The church group says 50 families have already committed to taking up places.

Penny Roberts, a former teacher and child psychologist who is leading the bid, said  the application was driven by the “desperate need” for primary school provision in Camden.

She said: “Statistically there is a pressing need for primary school places, but we also believe we can provide a school that will be appealing to parents.”

Free schools – which can be set up by parents or other groups – are state-funded but free from government control. Although they are not bound by the national curriculum, Ms Roberts said St Luke’s Primary would not differ too far from what is on offer in Camden’s state schools.

“We see our role as being an extension of the very good state schools that Camden already has,” she said. 

“We will base our curriculum on the national curriculum, making changes only where we feel it is necessary, such as offering a foreign language for students all the way through school.” 

Promising to be a school for children “of all faiths and none,” St Luke’s Primary would allocate the majority of places based on geographical need, regardless of religious beliefs.

It emerged this week that disagreements over the issue of Free Schools could threaten the stability of the coalition government, as a Lib Dem schools motion labelled them “socially divisive”.

Hampstead Lib Dem councillor Linda Chung said: “Unfortunately they are trying it out on children and should it not work it will be the children that suffer.”

Schools chief Cllr Heather Johnson said: “The reality is we don’t know how this is going to affect other schools in Camden because we don’t know how free schools will evolve. We will have to look at how this will affect placement planning but it’s early days. For now it is a case of keeping ­dialogue open.”