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Minister sees the shape of things to come
PROSPECTIVE pupils at Bedford’s newest school were joined by a government minister on Monday, as they all discovered more about the future of education.
Parents, children and Lord Hill, parliamentary under-secretary of state for schools, were given a tour of Bedford Free School in Cauldwell Street.
The school is set to open in September, with its first intake being 100 pupils for both Years 7 and 9.
Lord Hill said: “I’ve met with the principal Mark Lehain again, and I’ve heard his plans.
“I like that they want to have a longer school day and a wide curriculum.”
He added: “One of the things I like about the free schools is that they are all different, and reflect the particular values and circumstances of the local area.
“There are schools that want to concentrate on being academic, schools that want to concentrate on being more vocational, and even one school in Norwich that wants to open 51 weeks a year.
“Bedford Free School will have a longer school day, which will be good for some parents and will mean more teaching hours for students.”
The school will be state-funded, but will have a longer school day and will cater for children aged 11-16. The deadline for direct applications is on Friday (February 17).
13-year-old Cashal Morey, who currently goes to Alban Middle School, said: “I feel it will be a good school. It’s quite small, so there’s a better concentration on the teacher-pupil relationship.
“I go to a small middle school, so this will be brilliant for me.”
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Weather for Bedford
Monday 28 May 2012
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Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 25 C
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Wind direction: North
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