News

September 2011

Children start school

August 2011
Funding agreement signed

July 2011
We have recieved funding to buy all the equipment needed for school to open, including Montessori equipment. The Headteacher and staff are now going through procurrement on all the new things for each class.

May 2011
Work on the final funding agreement is in full swing, with many professionals from the Department for Education working to get all the Ts crossed and the i's dotted as soon as possible. A group of parents met the headteacher to help plan our family fun day, and two Montessori maths sessions have taken place for parents.

March 2011
Planning permission granted. Places are allocated with independent scrutiny of random allocation, DNS staff recruitment starts, final and formal consultation starts, first parents meeting held, planning decisions made. DNS move to SEN annex to make way for essential repair work. Detailed work on building specifications, equipment, services, IT nearing completion.

February 2011
Admissions close oversubscribed in all year groups. Letters sent to parents. Permission to start repairs to buildings. Work starts on recruitment and further consultation. Detailed preparations and planning starts. Budgets prepared for pre opening funding pre opening activities.

January 2011
DNS receives the final approval to open in September. Planning application submitted.

November 2010
Our admissions are open!

September 2010
We have received the very exciting news that we are one of the first tranche of 16 schools nationwide to be approved to stage three, preparing to admit pupils from September 2011. Click here to read more.

July 2010
NSN staged a very useful workshop with the DfE. We are redrafting our budgets accordingly and will work through the summer on the next stage of our application so that we are ready when the third stage may be submitted. Meanwhile we have started fundraising to help cover our application costs.

July 2010
We have submitted our stage 2 application the New Schools Network (NSN).

A massive 187 people signed our petition to become a school at our stall in The County Mall. As expected many people want to send their children to us.

May 2010
After an uncertain election we now have a Liberal - Conservative coalition government. They have confirmed that the free school policy will go ahead. We would be able to choose our curriculum and direct our budget towards our key priority- very small class sizes. This is exciting news.

April 2010
Walk in session in holidays went very well with visitors almost unanimously supporting the idea for a new Montessori school. Another is planned as the web site hits break through first 1000 barrier. Andrew in Radio and TV interviews to explain the exciting opportunity and our plans.