Bob Neill, MP for Bromley & Chislehurst, has welcomed the news that a new primary school specialising in French-English bilingual learning has been approved for Bromley.
The school is one of the 102 new ‘free schools’ approved by Ministers to open across England from September 2014 and beyond. Free schools are new state schools opened by groups of parents, teachers or charities. They give parents more choice of school and ensure more children can get a great state education. Up and down the country, free schools are already delivering what parents want – strong discipline, high standards and excellent teaching.
The successful bid has received tremendous support from local parents. So far more than 220 families with over 300 children have registered their interest.
Nathan Hardman, a local parent and city accountant who is heading up the Parent group said:
“We’re absolutely delighted to have won approval There’s a lot of hard work in front of us, but we are convinced that the Bromley Bilingual Primary School will fill an important gap in primary school languages teaching, Parent choice and the ongoing shortage of Primary school places in south-east London. London is a world city enriched by many cultures and languages, and with Canary Wharf on our doorstep, we believe it is crucial to equip more young people for an increasingly globalised world of work and study.”
Bob Neill has welcomed the Government’s decision to give Bromley Bilingual Primary the green light:
“There is huge demand for primary school places in Bromley and today’s announcement brings Nathan and his team one step closer to delivering a new and unique facility for children who are approaching reception age. I have met with the local group to discuss these plans in detail, and what shone through was their passion and commitment to the project and a determination to make a real difference to the lives of those pupils who attend this free school.”
Education Secretary Michael Gove said:
“There are many innovators in local communities set on raising standards of education for their children. I am delighted to approve so many of their high-quality plans to open a free school.
“Free schools are extremely popular with parents and are delivering strong discipline and teaching excellence across the country.”