A GROUP planning to set up a Free School to replace Woolston High School, Warrington has called a meeting next week for interested parents.
Special guest at the meeting will be Sir Iain Hall, former head teacher and associate director of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust.
The school – provisionally called The King’s School – would be established the existing buildings of Woolston High, in Holes Lane, which is due to close next summer.
Woolston High is to close on the grounds that there are insufficient numbers of pupils to sustain it.
But the closure decision by the borough council angered teachers, school governors and local parents who fought a long campaign to keep it open. In the end, however, the decision was confirmed and children from the Woolston area are now expected to go to Lysander High School – the former Padgate High School.
The meeting called for Wednesday, May 11 is for parents of Year Five children in the Woolston and Padgate areas. It will take place at the Church of the Ascension, Woolston, starting at 7.30pm.
Among those at the meeting will be Johnny Scotland, who was head boy at Woolston at the time the closure proposal was first announced and campaigned against the closure.
He said: “Woolston High was and is a good school and I am very grateful for the education I received there. I want to do my bit to help make sure Woolston still has a secondary school.”
The proposed new school would cater for children aged 11-18. In its vision statement it says it will develop the highest of aspirations and ambitions among pupils as they seek places at university and, or, seek entry to professions and higher level employment.
Students will develop a firm sense of self belief, a passion for learning and character development, learn to be resilient and become confident, contributing citizens.
Teaching staff will be of the highest calibre and be able to demonstrate high personal academic achievements, they will be innovative, ambitious for their students and offer cutting edge practice by continual self reflection and high quality professional development
Parents will be seen as partners in the academic and character development of their children and will be consulted about their child’s personalised educational programme and keep informed about their child’s progress.
King’s School would also develop strong links with local primary and secondary schools, make full use of local facilities and expertise in delivering its curriculum and take part in and support community events.
More details of the proposed school are available at www.woolstonacademy.co.uk
Free Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to parental demand. They were announced by the Government last year and more than 300 expressions of interest have been made across the country.
