FREE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL LEAVES POST

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Free school principal leaves post

by Fiona Dryden

The principal of Leicester's first free school has left after less than two years in the post.

Christopher Spall took up the job at Krishna Avanti Primary, in Spencefield Lane, Evington, when the school was launched in September 2011.

Occupying part of the former Leicester Grammar Junior site, the school has a Hindu ethos, but takes youngsters from all faiths.

The appointment of Mr Spall, a Christian, was seen as evidence of the school's commitment to welcoming everyone, regardless of religious background. He had been head teacher at an international primary school in Kuwait and taught in Basildon and at Loretto, a school in Scotland.

The Mercury was unable to contact Mr Spall, but chairman of governors, Pradip Gajjar, said he had left for personal reasons.

He said: "We are very grateful for the time he has been able to give to us, helping to launch the school and seeing it through to its successful second year. We were very thankful for his leadership."

Mr Spall left his post at Easter, following an official opening of the school by Education Secretary Michael Gove. Interim head, Sally Hughes, has now taken over.

Mr Gajjar said: "Sally has extensive headship experience and has delivered outstanding results. Parents were informed quickly.

"We are now looking for someone to fill this as a permanent role."

Krishna Avanti Primary was set up by The I-Foundation, which runs a school in Harrow, North London, using capital funding from the Government.

Free schools can be set up by charities, universities, businesses, teachers and parents and can set their own curriculum. However, Krishna Avanti follows the national curriculum.

An advert for the head teacher role placed by the school in the Times Education Supplement states: "The role will entail leading the school to outstanding and beyond. This is a unique opportunity to help lay the foundations of a growing and innovative school."

For more information, call Mr Gajjar on 07812 586790.

www.krishna- avanti-leicester.org.uk

DELIGHT AT PROGRESS OF CITY'S FIRST FREE SCHOOL

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Delight at progress of city's first free school

Teachers, parents and children at Leicester's first free school say they are delighted with the progress in transforming its building.

Krishna Avanti primary, in Evington, opened in September in a grade II-listed building, formerly occupied by Leicester Grammar Junior School.

Youngsters have been working in temporary buildings put up on the site while thousands of pounds of refurbishment and extension work got under way.

The work is due to finish in August, in time for the autumn term, when pupils numbers at the school will increase from 30 to at least 75.

Head teacher Christopher Spall said: "We're thrilled with the way work's progressing.

"It's going to look amazing with a square piazza being created and cloisters around it – it's got a real spiritual feel to it."

Free schools are set up by charities, parents or teachers outside local authority control, but paid for by the state.

The building work at Krishna Avanti includes the creation of a classroom block for years one and two, refurbishment of the existing building inside and outside, with new windows, carpets and redecoration.

The square piazza is being built towards the back of the school and a garden area for the children to grow their own vegetables will sit to one side of it, alongside a new-look outdoor area with play equipment.

There are still 15 places left for parents who wish to send their children to the school.

Sabrina Braithwaite, from Narborough Road, in Leicester, is sending her son, Jahziah, five, from September.

She said: "I've looked around the school before but I wanted to bring my son so that he could get used to it.

"I'm very impressed with the school's calm ethos and its vegetarianism. I like the fact that children do yoga and I think he'll be happy here.Jahziah said: "I really like the school playing field."

Pargan Dhadda, from Queen's Road, has a son, Angath, five, at the school, and another son, Aaryan, four, who will start in the new academic year.

He said: "I was a little bit worried at first because it was a new school but I've been really pleased with how it's been run.

"The grounds are very impressive and far better than any other school we looked around and because it's a small school the children get lots of individual attention."

The primary, which will eventually have places for 420 children, is sponsored by education charity the I-Foundation.

It has a Hindu ethos but children of all faiths attend and follow the national curriculum.

School governor Pradip Gajjar said: "We're very happy with how the school and the work is progressing."

LEICESTER'S FIRST FREE SCHOOL STARTS TO RECRUIT

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Leicester's first free school starts to recruit

Thirty parents have applied for places for their children at Leicester's first free school.

Krishna Avanti Primary, in Spencefield Lane, Evington, will be the country's second Hindu school when it opens.

Sponsor the I-foundation said it was pleased with the number of applications so far and there were still have places for another 30 children.

An open day on Sunday will give parents of four and five-year-olds a chance to look around the site.

Half of the places will be reserved for Hindus. The rest can be of any other faith or none.

Chris Spall, who will take up the post of head teacher following a three-year stint in Kuwait, said the school would follow the national curriculum but adopt a Hindu ethos.

Meals will be vegetarian and pupils will grow some of the vegetables in the school's garden.

Meditation and yoga will be on the timetable and children will learn about all faiths.

"We want the school to be a calm, peaceful and purposeful environment and for the children to learn about the world around them, whether that's being a Hindu, a Catholic or any other faith," said Mr Spall, 58, who did his teacher training at Loughborough University.

"I still intend to hold a nativity at Christmas but we'll celebrate Hindu festivals, too, along with other cultures," he said.

Youngsters will start the school year in one part of the building and temporary classrooms while work is completed on the former Leicester Grammar Junior School site.

Every child will be equipped with an iPad 2. Mr Spall said: "Children can really embrace the iPad because of its touch screen and it means there's instant access to information which can enhance outside learning, too.

"If we're planting potatoes in the garden and we want to find out how long they take to grow, children can find out at the touch of a screen."

Mr Spall said he intended to visit every child and their parents before they start at Krishna Avanti in September.

"I'm really excited about the future," he said.

"Once parents see what we're planning and how it will look, it's really going to take off.

"I've worked with many religious backgrounds and cultures and it's that diversity which attracted me to this post.

"We want to set up links with other schools in the city so that children get to experience as much as they can."

The free school was one of only eight approved by the Government last year.

It will be funded directly by the Government and will have freedom over its budget.

Project director Pradip Gajjar said: "We're very pleased with numbers so far and will look to grow in the future as intended.

"We're going to have a new school that's fully renovated and we're very excited about opening in September.

"We've had a lot of inquiries and some parents may think we're no longer taking applications. That's why another open day is planned on Sunday."

The open day runs from 11am until 2pm at the school.

STATE-FUNDED HINDU SCHOOL IN EVINGTON HAS OPEN DAY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

State-funded Hindu school in Evington has open day

A new school, set to open in September, is already proving popular.The Krishna-Avanti Primary School in Evington will be only the second state-funded Hindu school in the UK when it opens later this year.

It is one of the coalition Government's new "free" schools – set up by charities, parents or teachers outside local authority control but paid for by the state.

The I-Foundation, an education charity, is behind the new primary school and yesterday an open day was held to allow parents of prospective pupils to look at the school.

A school spokesman said the high attendance yesterday had suggested the school would be popular.

He said: "We had 60 to 70 people coming through in the first 45 minutes alone and about 30 to 40 of them told me they had applied to the school."

Prospective parents were given a tour of the school and also heard from Naina Parmar, the headteacher of the state-funded Krishna-Avanti school in Harrow. Both schools are advised by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.

Vishal Brahmbhatt, 30, from Belgrave, has applied for his three-year-old son Pritam to go to the school.

He said: "It's very exciting because it's the first Hindu school where children can stay in touch with their culture."

Jessica Desai, 29, from Humberstone, who visited with 15-month-old daughter, Danisha, said: "I've heard good things about the school in Harrow and I know it's very popular."

The I-Foundation has said its first intake will be 60 reception-age pupils but that it aimed to provide 420 places for children aged four to 11 by 2018.

Half of the new intake will be Hindu and the other half children who live nearest the Spencefield Lane site.

Children will follow the national curriculum but their day will include daily Hindu prayers among other things.