What is a "free school"?

The Government's 'free school' initiative enables interested groups to create new schools funded directly by central Government, bypassing local authority involvement, as long as they have sufficient community support. A free school is still a state school and subject to stringent quality control measures including OFSTED inspections.

What are the benefits of a Free School at Stoke by Nayland?

There are many benefits, some of which are listed below:

• It will give parents a choice of school for their children to attend from 11 -16.
• It will attract new capital funding to South Suffolk for education that would otherwise go to another part of the country.
• It will create a manageable sized rural school of around 540 pupils. A school where every child is known.
• It will create jobs in the school and in associated businesses and services.
• It will alleviate the pressure on existing schools which will need to expand by 50%, and enable them to run a more focused and manageable building programme, once any new capital funding comes on stream.
• It is an opportunity to develop a community hub for the local rural area and give a home for many other activities and opportunities.
• It will support the village communities by attracting families to the area.

Should the application prove successful when will Stoke by Nayland Free School open?

Our intention is to open the school in September 2013. Initial plans would be to start with provision for school year groups 7, 8 and 9. At the end of the school year, the oldest year group will move up (i.e. year 9 would become year 10) and we will admit another group of children in year 7 until we eventually have a full quota of 5 year groups.

How will admissions to Stoke by Nayland Free School work? Will it be open to young people from different backgrounds and ability?

Like Academies, Free Schools and therefore Stoke by Nayland Free School, will be bound by the same Admissions Code that governs all publicly funded schools. It will need to have a fair and transparent admission policy, and will need to provide places for pupils of different abilities who are wholly or mainly drawn from the area in which the school is situated.

Are there enough children in the area to support Stoke by Nayland Free School?

The current middle school’s year group size is 120 and the school capacity is 480. Keeping the year group size at 108 but simply moving from 9-13 year school to an 11-16 year school will increase the population to 540.

Using Suffolk County Council data from the pupil rolls in January 2010 we can project the likely size of the pupil population looking forward. These figures suggest that between 2010-2016 the size of the 11-16 pupil population in the Sudbury and Great Cornard pyramids will be somewhere in the region of 2,400.

A population of this size will comfortably support a 540 capacity rural school at Stoke by Nayland and leave at least 1800 pupils in the Great Cornard and Sudbury area. Leaving existing schools at around the same size as they are now (forecasts provided by the Council which include housing growth are slightly higher and these figures do not take into account any growth in demand from Essex).

Will the School be fee paying?

No, Stoke by Nayland Free School will be a state-funded educational establishment and there will be no charge for the education provided. 

What is the advantage of the proposed Free School over other state schools in the area?

Firstly it will be its size. At its biggest, the proposed Free School will have five year groups each of just over 100 pupils, which will ensure that nearly every teacher knows nearly every pupil. It is also proposed that Year 10 and 11 pupils will be given the opportunity to fulfil leadership roles with juniors.

Secondly, the curriculum will concentrate on subjects that we believe are crucial for the next stage of education. More time will be given to maths and English than usual, and there will be the opportunity to study science, French, and Spanish alongside other subjects. There will be no vocational qualifications available.

How will my child be cared for?

Firstly, in partnership with parents. We will wish for clear and open channels of communication which will help share information from school to parent and from parent to school. Parents will be informed at the start of every year of the names of contact details of teachers who have direct responsibility for the pastoral care of their children at the school.

Year 7 students will be under the care of a specialist Head of Year 7 who will be appointed to liaise with local feeder primary schools and parents. Year 8 and 9 will be in eight tutor groups, under a Head of Lower School and similarly, in Year 10 and 11 there will be a Head of Upper School in charge of another eight tutor groups. Tutor groups will help break down year group segregation and help the student body to cohere.

How will you finance the remodelling of the school?

The coalition Government has developed a new funding stream for 'free schools' which has a separate capital funding budget from existing state funded schools.

What will happen to the capital funding if it does not go to Stoke by Nayland Free School?

The capital funding will go back into the free schools budget and be awarded to a free school project elsewhere. It is not accessible by existing schools in our area.

My child's currently a pupil at another secondary school. Can I move her/him to Stoke by Nayland Free School?

Yes, as long as there are places available, you have the choice to send your child to whichever school you choose.

The first step will be to contact the admissions team at Suffolk County Council, who will notify your child's current school, and Stoke by Nayland Free School, of your intentions.

Will you be creating a new sixth form?

No, there are many sixth form options in the area for our children including Suffolk One, Great Cornard Upper School and Colchester Sixth Form College as well as many further education colleges offering impressive vocational courses.

Can I have a say in the kind of school that will be created at Stoke by Nayland?

Yes, we shall be using a number of different methods of gathering information from parents and the wider community so that it is a school which we can all feel proud of and reflects our community.

Who will teach at the School?

It will be important that Stoke by Nayland Free School recruits and retains good teachers. We have already been approached by a number of teachers who are interested in working with us at this detailed planning stage of the school and applying for roles as it opens. Staff that have the appropriate skills and experience will have been recruited by the time the school opens in September 2013.

Will you be employing existing Stoke by Nayland middle school staff?

Those that are secondary trained or decide to undertake training in order to teach at the Stoke by Nayland Free School are actively encouraged to apply for advertised positions. We are happy to speak to any teachers that are considering this as an option.

Will Stoke by Nayland Free School have parent governors?

Yes, like any school in the state system, Stoke by Nayland Free School's governing body will include parents, staff and other members of the community.

Because Stoke by Nayland Free School will be a Seckford Foundation school, the governing body will be chaired by, and will contain representatives from, The Seckford Foundation.

My child has special needs that are currently supported by the local authority and their school. Would this continue at the new school in Stoke by Nayland?

Special needs funding follows the child. That means that any child with special needs will receive exactly the same amount of funding at a free school as they would at any other state school - it's just that the money comes directly from central Government and not the LEA.

Will it be just like Woodbridge School but free?

No, Woodbridge School is one of the premier schools in the East of England and gains exceptional academic results as well as reaching a national standard in music, drama, sport and other activity. Woodbridge School is highly selective.

The Free School will try and use some of Woodbridge School's approaches to pastoral care, and like Woodbridge School will give importance to extra-curricular activity (things done outside class). The Head of Woodbridge School will be a Governor as will the Director of the Seckford Foundation.

Will pupils have to wear a uniform?

Yes, a group of parents have discussed this area and chosen a practical, easy-care and affordable uniform, with a tie and jumper but no blazer. Uniform will proudly boast the coat of arms of the Seckford Foundation.