It is a well known fact that Brentford’s primary school’s are bulging, with classes being expanded in the majority of schools and a real worry that there will not be enough school places for those starting their education in the next few years.
Floreat Education is hoping to come to the rescue. Only seven months old itself, the charity is solely focused on opening up new primary free schools across London, and Brentford is one of the first places it is hoping to do this.
James O’Shaughnessy and his team started talking to parents in the area last week to see how they feel about a new school and to let people know what their vision is.
The 37-year-old has a wealth of experience - he was David Cameron’s former head of policy between 2010 and 2011 following a three year stint as director of the Conservative research department where he wrote the Party’s general election manifesto. Prior to that he was deputy director of new policy think tank, Policy Exchange, and started with Conservative Central Office in 2001 as a special adviser to the then shadow education secretary, Damien Green.
The father-of-three young children has also taught at a music school in Calcutta and worked in advertising and new media.
“I’m absolutely passionate about education and school reform,” he said. “I left Number 10 because I really wanted to set up free schools in the areas of London which need them the most, which is why I started Floreat.
“We set up the charity seven months ago and started off by looking at studies by the Greater London Assembly into where in the capital was in most need of primary schools. We identified Brentford as an area which was seriously in need of primary schools and approached the council who were very accommodating.
“Our vision is very much based on children becoming well-rounded people, on character training. Academics will have a strong focus but ensuring they are confident, polite, mindful and ready to flourish in the wider world will also be essential. We’ve looked at lots of studies through the Department for Education and tried to come up with a good balance of all these things.”
Floreat is working with and being advised by top educational institutions: the Jubilee Centre at the University of Birmingham, Cuckoo Hall Academies Trust which is a group of academies and free schools in North London, and Wellington College, one of the UK’s leading independent schools, whose headmaster, Dr Anthony Seldon, has been a key proponent in the type of education Floreat are hoping to provide.
Mr O’Shaughnessy is coincidentally went to Wellington himself before he heading off to study at Oxford.
Hounslow Council have been working with Floreat and have told them they could move into a site anywhere between Griffin Park and Busch Corner.
The educational charity is already in the process of setting up its first free school, in Earlsfield, Wandsworth, which will be opening in September 2015.
Mr O’Shaughnessy and his team will continue to meet with people in the Brentford over the next few months and are hoping to submit a proposal to the Department for Education by May 2014 with the aim of opening the first reception year with 60 children in September 2015.
To find out more about Floreat and its vision for a school in Brentford visit their website , e-mail them info@floreat.org.uk and follow them on Facebook and Twitter .
