Keep free schools

Head teachers call on all political parties to continue to allow free schools to be set up wherever parents want them

Sir, We have founded or run 126 of the 400-plus free schools set up across England since 2010 and have worked incredibly hard alongside our teams and parents to make these schools a reality. We made this commitment because we believe our schools can make a positive difference to education locally. We are not driven by ideology and come from every political background and none — our common cause is ensuring that all children have access to a good school.

Our schools are already making that difference. Ofsted inspects them after just five terms and 70 per cent have been judged good or better — with a higher proportion than the national average deemed outstanding.

We are providing much needed school places, raising standards and offering parents and pupils choice. We call on all parties to continue to allow free schools to be set up — wherever parents want them — because they are helping to raise standards, especially for those most in need. Many thanks for stopping by. Before we carry on I need to say thanks to http://momreviews.net/about/ for their continued support and the support of their regional community. Having a support team like this means a lot to us as we continue to grow our very own blog.

Jenny Boyd, head, Rosewood School

Dr Sue Attard, executive principal, Hatfield Community Free School and Jupiter Community Free School

Barnaby Lenon, chairman of governors, London Academy of Excellence

Luke Sparkes, principal, Dixons Trinity Academy

Seamus Oates, executive head TBAP Trust

Janet Goddard, Headteacher, Alban City School

Carrie Matthews, Principal, Barnfield Moorlands

Brigid Tullie, Headteacher and Alistair Hartley, Chair of Governors, Batley Grammar School

Mark Lehain, Principal, Bedford Free School

Claire Delaney, Chair, Bellevue Place Education Trust, on behalf of Barnet Free Primary School

Ian Bauckham, Headteacher, Bennett Memorial School, on behalf of Bishop Chavasse School

Sacha Corcoran MBE, Principal, Big Creative Academy

Marina Gutierrez, Founder, Bilingual Primary School for Brighton and Hove

Toni Carr, Principal, Bolton Wanderers Free School

Jo Bland, Principal, Boston Pioneers Free School

Neil Blundell, Executive Principal, Bristol Cathedral Primary School

Jacqui Ford, Project Lead, Bristol Futures Academy

Anne Gouldthorpe, Deputy Headteacher, Bullers Wood School for Boys

Justine Drury, Principal Designate, Channeling Positivity

Rebecca Maxted, Headteacher and Ali Jaffer, Proposer, Chapeltown Academy

Claire Heald, Executive Principal, Charles Darwin Primary School, Jane Austen College and Sir Isaac Newton Free School

Sian Jeffreys, Acting Head of School, Chetwynde School

Keith Gardner, Lead Proposer, City Gates School

Michaela Khatib, Executive Head, Cobham Free School

Raja Miah, CEO, Collective Spirit

Lauren Thorpe, Principal, Compass School Southwark

Rebecca Williams, Head teacher Designate, Crystal Palace Primary School

Wendy Whelan, Executive Principal and Karen Hayes, Associate Principal, Derby Pride Academy

Wesley Davies, Principal, Dixons McMillan Academy

Michelle Long, Principal, Dixons Music Primary

Luke Sparkes, Principal, Dixons Trinity Academy

David Perks, Principal, East London Science School

Shabir Fazal, Principal, Eden Boys’ School, Bolton

Shahina Ahmad, Principal, Eden Girls’ School, Waltham Forest

Suvir Rai, Project Lead, Sarah Hanan-Bajwa, Trust Member, Jasbir Sihota, Trust Member, Kamal Kainth, Trust Member, Amrit Dokal, Principal Designate and Jasminder Grewal OBE, Education Governor, Edison Primary School

Titilayo Oluwatidimu, Director of Education, Emmanuel Community School

Joanna Wood, Principal, Essa Primary School

Phil Duffy, Executive Principal, Everton Free School

Kerry Burnham, Headteacher, Exeter Mathematics School

Russell Plester, Headteacher Designate, Finham Park Free School 2

James O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director, Floreat Education, on behalf of Floreat Alperton Primary, Floreat Brentford Primary and Floreat Southall Primary

Joanne Haswell, Founder and Governor, Forest Bridge School

Alun Ebenezer, Headmaster, Fulham Boys School

Kevin Sadler, CEO, Gateway Learning Community Trust on behalf of Gateway Primary Free School

Lea Gilbert, Head Teacher, Gildredge House Free School

Sir Iain Hall, Chair, Great Schools for All Children Trust

Graham Taylor, Principal and Chief Executive, Great Western Academy

Sally Lockyer, Lead Proposer, Grove House School

Lesley Falconer, Headteacher, Hackney New School

Stephen Daley, Principal, Harmonize Academy

James Handscombe, Principal, Harris Westminster Sixth Form Academy

Dr Sue Attard, Executive Principal, Hatfield Community Free School and Jupiter Community Free School

David Castles, Principal, Heyford Park Free School

Simon Dudley, Chair of Governors, Holyport College

Paul Weston, Chair of Governors, Hope Community School

David Holloway, Leader and Founder, Ideas College

Rachel De Souza, Chief Executive, Inspiration Trust

Stephen Boyd, Headmaster, Island Free School

Niki King, Headteacher, Ixworth Free School

Harnek Singh, Chair, Khalsa Education Trust, on behalf of Khalsa Science Academy

Rose Codling, Principal, Khalsa Secondary School

Dan Abramson, Headteacher and Alison Wolf, Founding Chair of Governors, King’s College London Specialist Maths School

Shane Ierston, Principal, King’s Leadership Academy

Dr Beverley Jacobson, Chief Executive, Kisharon Inclusive Free School

Mark Peters, Founding Member and Director, Langdale Free School

Sally Eaton B.Ed FRSA, Education Director, Langley Hall Primary Academy

Katie Parlett, Chair of Trust, Founder, Lighthouse School

Barnaby Lenon, Chair of Governors, London Academy of Excellence

Ashid Ali, Principal, London Enterprise Academy

Gillian Coffey OBE, Executive Headteacher, Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy

Richard Scott, Executive Director, Maharishi School

Mandy Southwick, Principal, Marchbank

Siobhan Easton, Headteacher, Marine Academy Primary

Richard Ardron, Headteacher, Marylebone Boys’ School

Anne Burrell, Principal, Merchants’ Academy, on behalf of Bristol Autism Free School

Katharine Birbalsingh, Headmistress, Michaela Community School

David Kelin, Vice Chair of Governors, Mosaic Jewish Primary School

Stuart Leeming, CEO, New Islington Free School Trust, on behalf of New Islington Free School

Natalie Evans, Director, New Schools Network

Palbinder Kaur Brom, Acting Headteacher, Nishkam Free School

Damien Kearns, Principal, Nishkam High School

Harmander Singh Dhanjal, Headteacher, Nishkam Primary School Wolverhampton

Terry Green, Executive Principal and Brin Mahon, Director, Nishkam Schools Trust

Lee Bergin, Headmaster, North Cestrian School

Karen Cornick, Principal, North Somerset Enterprise and Technology College

Maggie Segrove, Principal, Oakbank

Riaz Shah, Chair, One Degree Academy

Barry Payne, Exceutive Head, Parkside School, on behalf of The Wherry School

Roger Leighton, Chief Executive, Partnership Learning, on behalf of Riverside School

Johnette Barrett, Founder Principal, Paxton Academy Sports and Science

Liam Nolan, CEO and Jackie Powell, Executive Head, Perry Beeches Academy Trust

Kevin Rogers, Headteacher, Perry Beeches II The Free School

Darren Foreman, Headteacher, Perry Beeches III The Free School

Russell Bond, Headteacher, Perry Beeches IV The Free School

Kelly Luen, Principal, Pimlico Primary

Simon Corns, Headmaster, Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School

Andrea Symonds, Principal, Rainbow Primary School

Jenny Boyd, Headteacher, Rosewood School

Richard Bence, Chair of Governors, Route 39 Academy

Tom Legge, Lead Proposer, Rugby Free Primary School

Neil Owen, Chair of Governors, Salisbury Sixth Form College

Andrew Howard, Principal, Sandymoor School

Rob Cawley, Principal and CEO, Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust

Darren Lyon, Headmaster, Sir Thomas Fremantle Free School

Richard Gray, Deputy Headteacher, Southend YMCA Community Free School

Nikki Hutchinson, Principal, St George’s Academy

Fr. David Stevenson, Founder/Proposer, St John’s Church of England Primary School, Watford

Steve Docking, Founder and Director, St Martin’s Academy

Angie Browne, Principal, Steiner Academy Bristol

Alan Swindell, Principal, Steiner Academy Exeter

Trevor Mepham, Principal and Guy Marson, Chair of Governors, Steiner Academy Frome

Seamus Oates, Executive Headteacher TBAP Trust, TBAP 16-19 Academic AP Academy

Nick Armitage, Interim Head Teacher, The Aspire Academy

Nigel Youngman, Headteacher, The Beccles Free School

Kathryn Cooper, Chair of Governors and Suzie Hobart, Governor, The Earl’s Court Free School Primary and The West London Free School Primary

Nichhatar Singh Kandola, Chairman, The Khalsa Academies Trust

Mark Featherstone-Witty OBE, CEO, The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, on behalf of LIPA Primary School

Nusret Ellahi, Headteacher, The Olive School, Blackburn

Jo Appleyard, Executive Principal, The Orchards

Richard Booth, Headteacher, The Reach Free School

Rebekah Taylor, Principal, The Ruth Gorse Academy

David Lees, Headteacher, The Saxmundham Free School

Tristram Hobson, Headteacher, The Swanage School

Toby Young, Chief Executive, Justin Tooth, Director and Jane Emmett, Director, The West London Free School Academy Trust

Hywel Jones, Headteacher, Ian Hunter, Chair of Governors, Professor Simon Hix, Governor and Dr Ian Katz, Governor, The West London Free School Secondary

Matteo Rossetti, Founder and Chair of Governors, Thomson House School

John Tomasevic, CEO, Torch Academy Gateway Trust, on behalf of Nottingham Free School

Ian Burchett, Principal, Trafalgar College

Jonathan Wilden, Headmaster, Wallington County Grammar School on behalf of WCGS Federation Free School

Karin Rowsell, Headteacher and Kerstyn Comley, Governor, Wapping High School

Susan Percy, Headteacher and Shelagh Keogh, Chair of Governors, West Newcastle Academy