Yes, we are delighted to have been able to secure a very experienced and highly respected Headteacher.  Karen has been in education for 23 years and spent the last 7 years as Headteacher at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Henley-upon-Thames.

Whilst it is not a requirement that free schools employ qualified teachers, all teachers at The Heights will be suitably qualified and experienced.

Yes, we will be teaching the National Curriculum.  We want The Heights Primary to be the same as the other outstanding schools in the area and simply want to ensure that all children can be educated in the same way but with the benefit of attending a school within their community.

Headteacher Karen Edwards met all the local pre-schools and nurseries, in preparation for children starting Reception in 2014.  The Heights also held an induction day in the summer, where she and her team were able to get to know parents and their children.  A similar programme will be developed for children starting in 2015.

The Free School set-up budget is surprisingly generous and we are demonstrating that we have the resources to provide first class education. For instance within our IT spend we are planning to have a minimum of 25 PCs for pupils to allow 1:1 pupil to computer ratio during ICT lessons and a further 60 tablets to aid interactive learning in the classroom, with age appropriate educational software, which will be available from first opening. The excellent IT infrastructure that we will be able to put in place will form the backbone to teaching and learning within the school, and staff and pupils will have access to a range of future-proofed ICT tools to stimulate exploration and enquiry, encourage curiosity and creativity and ensure each child is equipped with the right skills in our ever evolving technological world. We have also invested in books, sport, music and play equipment.

The Heights has a very active Parent Teacher and Friends Association (PTFA) who have raised nearly £5,000 so far this year.  PTFAs often raise money for things that aren’t core but are nice to have.  Children will soon be benefiting from new awnings allowing us to maximise the limited space available on the temporary site, whatever the weather!