A GROUP of parents hope to create a new school to prevent their children being sent out of Waltham Forest to be educated.


An estimated 1,528 secondary school places are needed in the borough by the academic year starting in 2015 and there are fears the target could be missed.
 

So more than 70 families have formed the Walthamstow Secondary School Initiative (WSSI) and joined forces with Oasis Community Learning, which has set up so-called free schools across the country.
 

Oasis is a Christian organisation, which writes on its website: "The work of Oasis Community Learning is motivated and inspired by the life, message and example of Christ. "

The parent group is currently looking at a number of sites for a new school in the area, which it is hoped could accommodate 700 pupils, and has called on parents to lend their support.
 

WSSI Chairwoman, Jen Powell, said: "I'm very happy and excited and now we have to wait and see what will happen.
 

"I hope people will sign up to support the school because the borough really needs it. Talking to parents, they seem really interested in the proposal."
 

Mrs Powell, a mother of three, hopes the new school is operational by 2014 as her eldest son, eight-year-old George, is set to start secondary school just a year later.
 

"It's worrying how short our borough will be in school places by then. Political feelings aside we could see this was the only option we had," she added.
 

The school would have financial independence and be able to set teachers' pay and conditions.
 

It would still have to abide by the national curriculum.
 

But critics say free schools take valuable resources out of the education economy and disadvantage schools in poorer areas.
 

Oasis is currently looking at three potential locations in Walthamstow for the new school, but said it cannot reveal where they are in case prices are driven up by rival bids.
 

A consultation runs until October 31, after which WSSI and Oasis will submit an outline proposal to the Department for Education.
 

If the proposal is considered viable, they will then be asked to produce a detailed business plan and carry out a larger consultation.
 

The government gave Waltham Forest Council £30 million earlier this year to tackle an overall shortage of school places, which is predicted to reach 7,104 by 2015/16. 

 

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