Setting up a private school
Discussion
Hello all.
May well be in the wrong section - if so please do move, but does anyone here, have any experience in setting up a private, fee paying school ?
We have been forced into a position, whereby our son’s school, has unexpectedly shut, and there is no similar local alternative, so we are considering setting up a small (think 5-10) pupil school ourselves.
I am guessing that it is a paperwork nightmare, and we may need to a not call it a school, but a communal centre for home educated children, but would be so grateful for any help or pointers.
May well be in the wrong section - if so please do move, but does anyone here, have any experience in setting up a private, fee paying school ?
We have been forced into a position, whereby our son’s school, has unexpectedly shut, and there is no similar local alternative, so we are considering setting up a small (think 5-10) pupil school ourselves.
I am guessing that it is a paperwork nightmare, and we may need to a not call it a school, but a communal centre for home educated children, but would be so grateful for any help or pointers.
Well, number of reasons.
Had heard that free schools, have layers of governance, which can affect the way that the teaching is carried out. And also heard you need 12months + to achieve.
We have 3 weeks before school term starts, so time against us.
Our kids are at private school, so if we recruit others, who have also be left in the lurch, then the expectation will be to pay fees.
Had heard that free schools, have layers of governance, which can affect the way that the teaching is carried out. And also heard you need 12months + to achieve.
We have 3 weeks before school term starts, so time against us.
Our kids are at private school, so if we recruit others, who have also be left in the lurch, then the expectation will be to pay fees.
wickedtopspeed said:
Well, number of reasons.
Had heard that free schools, have layers of governance, which can affect the way that the teaching is carried out. And also heard you need 12months + to achieve.
We have 3 weeks before school term starts, so time against us.
Our kids are at private school, so if we recruit others, who have also be left in the lurch, then the expectation will be to pay fees.
The easiest solution would be to get an existing, established independent school to buy the one that has just closed. Failing that, to find one that would take on both the staff and pupils of the old one. Is that a possibility?Had heard that free schools, have layers of governance, which can affect the way that the teaching is carried out. And also heard you need 12months + to achieve.
We have 3 weeks before school term starts, so time against us.
Our kids are at private school, so if we recruit others, who have also be left in the lurch, then the expectation will be to pay fees.
If it isn't, your best bet would be to get hold of the bursar/business manager of the old school and start a dialogue with them about running the new school for you.
voicey said:
My understanding (as a parent of a child in a prep school) is that up to the age of four the way the children is taught is strictly regulated by Ofsted. After that you can do as you please.
Which IMO is crazy. It’s the one thing I can’t believe still exists in this country where we seem to have laws for everything yet there is no legal requirements to educate your children. However I don’t wish to derail the tread as this isn’t what the OP is proposing. Very tight timeframe as said earlier contacting the relevant people from the school that’s closing down must be a good start. And one of the teachers.
Unexpectedly for the parents, or unexpectedly for the whole school? Seems strange that a property issue can occur so suddenly (unless something like asbestos was found).
If the school knew about the issue for a while,it suggests to me that it's probably not financially viable to continue, which would be a disincentive to other schools to consider taking it over.
I like a challenge, but the idea of getting a school equipped, up and running in 3 weeks seems a big ask. Maybe worth trying to find out how local authorities cope with unexpected closures (fire/vandalism etc.) or whether there are any outfits specialised in this. I fear it will be eye-wateringly expensive.
Good luck!
If the school knew about the issue for a while,it suggests to me that it's probably not financially viable to continue, which would be a disincentive to other schools to consider taking it over.
I like a challenge, but the idea of getting a school equipped, up and running in 3 weeks seems a big ask. Maybe worth trying to find out how local authorities cope with unexpected closures (fire/vandalism etc.) or whether there are any outfits specialised in this. I fear it will be eye-wateringly expensive.
Good luck!
As someone who runs the infrastructure and site of a large day school - the amount of prep you need in terms of:
Evacuation plans
First aid provision
Lock down procedures
Legionella testing
Temperature testing for water
Emergency lighting
None of these things are transferable if you change site.
The list is endless.
I suggest contact with the ISC, AGBIS and the ISA. The ISI will probably want to do an inspection of some kind before you “open”.
3 weeks - purely from a logistical standpoint, isn’t going to happen.
Evacuation plans
First aid provision
Lock down procedures
Legionella testing
Temperature testing for water
Emergency lighting
None of these things are transferable if you change site.
The list is endless.
I suggest contact with the ISC, AGBIS and the ISA. The ISI will probably want to do an inspection of some kind before you “open”.
3 weeks - purely from a logistical standpoint, isn’t going to happen.
It's actually much easier to take you kids out of main stream education than many people think.
Go the home schooling route and hire a room or convert a garage or whatever and hire the required freelance tutors... It will be very easy, all you have to do is comply with the home schooling guidelines.
That said I shudder to think what a school run be a PHer would be like.
Go the home schooling route and hire a room or convert a garage or whatever and hire the required freelance tutors... It will be very easy, all you have to do is comply with the home schooling guidelines.
That said I shudder to think what a school run be a PHer would be like.
FredClogs said:
That said I shudder to think what a school run be a PHer would be like.
It would be a proper school, like they used to be, engineering would be compulsory, discipline strict, male teachers would be stern, and female teachers would be dressed like hookers. There'd be a bar in the staff room. Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff