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‘Excellent curriculum’ for new school pupils
b12-1038 Daniel Hinde has just started at Bedford Free School Daniel with his parents Cara Hinde and Gareth Dunk
Children, parents and staff arrived on Thursday for the opening of the new Bedford Free School.
The Cauldwell Street site was a hive of activity from 8am for the launch of the new school which has caused controversy by opening without planning permission.
This week pupil Dan Hinde, 13, who has moved to the school from Daubeney Middle School, said that the Free School is offering he and his fellow pupils something different.
He said: “The first week has been good and the activities we have done have been good too.
“On the Thursday and Friday we were doing our classes and getting to know each other, and now we are doing our proper lessons, science and PE are my favourites.
“I wasn’t ever worried that I wouldn’t be able to start, I’m in the same class as two people that I know from Daubeney but there’s lots of new people too.
“We get the say on what we want the playground to be like because before it was like a car park. I think the school offers a lot more than a normal school because we get more enrichment sessions and you can do extra classes as well if you like.”
On opening day the school’s headteacher Mark Lehain claimed that everyone was very excited and that an ‘excellent curriculum’ was ready to go.
He said: “It feels so good, we have worked so hard and for so long for this.
“Here we are this morning, almost 200 children have turned up, the staff is in place and an excellent curriculum is ready to go. We are very, very excited.
“There have been massive hurdles all along the way, but in many respects that how it should be, it shouldn’t be easy to open a school because this is children’s lives.
“Each time we have come across a challenge the team has risen to the occasion and here we are today ready to go.”
What do you think of the Free School?
Email your views and ideas for education in Bedford to editorial@timesandcitizen.co.uk
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Weather for Bedford
Thursday 23 May 2013
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 5 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 26 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 29 mph
Wind direction: North
