Alban City School Announces Open Days

Alban City School, the new Free School, which will open in St Albans in September 2012, has announced a number of Open Days to encourage prospective parents and children to visit the site of the school.

The plans for Alban City School received government approval on 10 October 2011, with The Department for Education approving 60 reception places only in 2012, and then 60 reception places each year thereafter.  

The proposals were put forward by the free school group which is made up of a number of educationalists and local parents and fully supported by Hertfordshire County Council, who purchased the former School of Law site on Hatfield Road to accommodate this new school at a city centre location.

The Open Days are to be held as follows: 

• Tuesday 1st November - 9.30am, 11.30am, 2pm
• Monday 7th November - 8pm
• Saturday 19th November - 10am, 12pm, 3pm
• Monday 28th November - 11am, 1.30pm
• Thursday 8th December - 8pm

The school will welcome children of all abilities, faiths, social and cultural backgrounds. Any parent can apply for a place at the school and admissions will be managed by Hertfordshire County Council following the same admissions rules as all other community primary schools in St. Albans. The application process for reception places for September 2012 will open on 14 November 2011 and close on 15 January 2012 and can be made through the county council web site at www.hertsdirect.org

Frances Button, Executive Member for Education at Hertfordshire County Council, said "This is excellent news for many young children and their families in St Albans.  This school will provide 60 additional primary school places for 2012 in the city centre, an area where we have been working with local parents to address the consistent pressure for additional places. We recognise that there have been concerns locally particularly regarding traffic and parking and I know that these are being considered in the plans. We fully support this group of professionals who are giving their time for free to support the development of this new school."

The free school group is being lead by Linda Crawley, the former head teacher of Aboyne Lodge, an outstanding and oversubscribed community primary school in central St. Albans.  She said, "We are delighted that this project has been given the go-ahead by the Department for Education. We are truly committed to establishing a wonderful new school which will provide a supportive environment within which our children can learn and thrive. I would urge all parents of young children living in St Albans to come along to one of our prospective parent open evenings."

Anne Main, Member of Parliament for St Albans said "I am delighted that St Albans free school has been approved by the Department for Education and can provide these much needed places for children in the centre of St Albans. I know that that the team behind the St Albans free school will make a success of it, and provide a quality education for the children of St Albans."

For further information about the open days visit the school's website www.albancityschool.org.uk

Photo from Anders Ruff Custom Designs photostream on flickr.