(OT) New school outside Cambridge

April 11, 2009

As there has been mention of the new school in Sussex, I thought I's mention

there is to be a new ASD school outside Cambridge. I suspect this isn't a good

thing because:

1. It's being set up by a Company (Piscari) registered at Companies House less

than 3 years ago. The Directors are mostly businessmen.

2. They have never set up and run a school before, but they claim to be leaders

in the education field with a turnover of £20 Million per annum.

3. There is a glossy website and lots of puff about this being the best ASD

school in the country(!)

4. My source tells me the Company is " hand in glove " with the LA.

5. I could tell you why I wouldn't trust anything the LA was involved in but I

won't.

6. The language on the website and in all the documents from the Company I have

read are full of Orwell-speak.

7. Their expertise in SEN is evidenced on the website by stating they are the

authors of the " Inclusion Quality Mark " . Sounds great, but dig a bit and you

will see this is itself a self-generated scheme and a Limited Liability Company.

The Company draws up the guidelines, takes money off schools, inspects to see if

they meet their (own)guidelines and then gives them the Award and authority to

use their Inclusion Quality Mark logo! This standard is self-generated and not

externally designed or validated. It has nothing to do with any official body as

far as I can see.

8. No mention of partnership with parents. In fact, no mention of parents, that

I could see.

9. The school appears tailor-made to the LA's requirements ie it will pick up on

excluded children, hard to place children, children with disruptive behaviours.

It will simply not be educating children who don't fit into one of the LA's

" difficult " and therefore expensive categories.

Mrgaret

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