Today has
been a disappointing day for a lot of parents and students in
Bournemouth. Parkfield school. a free
school was due to open in September this year offering a all through education
from ages 4- 18, has been differed until next year. The really really annoying
thing about it is, it was because the Department of Education let us down. They failed to find
us a suitable site in the time required. Or more correctly failed to contact
Bournemouth Borough council to find out about planning regulations on our proffered
site.
This school was a dream dreamed up by forward thinking
parents, with the get up and go to move their dream forward, for a co-educational free school offering a fresh approach and choice that allows
pupils to discover learning, unlock their potential, find their place in their
community and play their part in society. It was to be an answer to all of our
school prays!
The Governing Body were not being paid.
For 18 months a group of parents met on a Monday night to discuss the project, plan and then allocate tasks. All this was done in their own time. They gave up
their weekends to go to Free School seminars, to distribute leaflets. They paid
out of their own pocket the printing, the paper, the time. They recruited the
headmaster, sat on interview boards, again giving their time for free. The
Head was in place. The governing Board was in Place. The teachers
were all recruited. The students had been notified. The Dream was alive!
The school has been backed by the community.
Parents were very, very excited about how lucky we were in Bournemouth and
Poole to have this opportunity. They have been meeting up to develop the school
community. They have set up a Face Book page Parents of Parkfield. The support for the school has been and
still is amazing.
And yet. . .here I write telling you this story because the last
few weeks became a nightmare, because the Department of Education couldn't
secure the building and therefore has let us all down.
The governing body has been frantically trying to
find temporary accommodation. But to no avail!
What is amazing though is the continued support of the Parents,
the Headmaster and the future staff. It really is "Batten down
the Hatches" The Spirit that makes you proud to be British!
Parkfield School WILL open in September 2013. It will be bigger
and better than before. It will open purely because of the amazing power of a
Dream. . . (And a lot of hard work!)
