FAQs
Where will East Park School be located?
We are hoping that the proposed new school will be located in the Henry Raine School building, the site of the old Raines Foundation School that closed down in July 2020. Raine's School Foundation who own the building are one of our key partners on the free school, they have been providing education in East London since 1719, and this fully refurbished building is an ideal setting for a new school to continue this 300-year-old legacy. However, the Department for Education will ultimately have the final say and responsibility for determining the location of the school once the application is given approval.
Will East Park School be Primary or Secondary?
East Park School will initially cater for pupils of Secondary school age.
Will East Park School be a private school?
No, the application is for East Park School to be a free school. Free schools receive funding from the Department for Education. Free schools are accountable to the Department directly, rather than to the local authority, and have the freedom to set their own school terms and days, curriculum and staff pay and conditions.
Why has the East Park School partnered with Fulham Boys School?
We are aiming to open East Park School under the auspices of the FBS Trust. This new Trust is passionate about its distinctive brand of education which is committed to establishing schools that are built upon the Christian faith, nurture enterprise and are geared to bring out the best in boys and girls. The Trust is determined to influence the educational landscape nationally and globally and provide real choice.
What will the admissions criteria be?
The school will be open to applicants of all faiths and none, with 50% of places reserved for Christian families if oversubscribed.
What is a Faith place?
Faith places will be for pupils whose parents/carers are practising members of a Christian church which is an Anglican church or a full member of “Churches Together in Britain and Ireland” or “The Evangelical Alliance”. Church attendance will need to be verified by a priest/vicar of the relevant church.
Do my children need to be Christian/churchgoers to attend East Park School?
Not at all; our school will be open (and welcoming!) to those of all faiths and none.
In what way will the East Park School be a faith school?
You mention Enterprise, what exactly does that mean?
What subjects will be taught at GCSE?
At Key Stage 4, for most students, a full complement of GCSE examination courses will be followed ensuring that the requirements of the English Baccalaureate are fulfilled. The curriculum will cater for individual needs based around a compulsory core of GCSEs in: English (including English Literature); Maths; Science; French or Spanish; History or Geography; RE; In addition pupils may choose 2 further option subjects.
We will offer the same subjects at KS4 that were on offer at KS3. In addition we will offer Business Studies, Product and BTEC Sport and BTEC Computing.
PSHCE will continue to be taught as a discrete subject as well as being mapped across the curriculum.
Pupils will do their Core PE during Sports Afternoons. They will also be encouraged/guided to pick up sports clubs in the Co-Curriculum.
Enterprise skills will continue to be developed in all subjects. There will also be Enterprise lessons during PHSCE and in the co-curriculum. This will enable pupils to work towards the Enterprise Award.
Pupils will complete 10 GCSEs. The most able pupils will be able to choose a curriculum which allows them to follow their academic aspirations to A level.
What size will classes be at East Park School?
Classes will be a maximum size of 24, to support individual attention and behaviour management. The cohort will be streamed where needed to ensure students are grouped with others of similar ability.
How will Sports be taught?
In the first year, Wednesday afternoons will be predominantly for Sport / PE. As more year groups join the school, sports afternoon will be a different afternoon for each year group.
However, as well as sport, Wednesday afternoon may also be used for other enrichment activities i.e. rehearsals for school shows, enterprise activities and making the most of London as our classroom.
Inter-House competitions will also take place on Wednesdays.
What will be provided for SEN students?
The East Park School SEN policy will be in line with the School ethos. As a school built upon Christian principles, we are committed to welcoming and meeting the needs of all students where possible. Therefore, provision for students with SEN is an integral part of the School's aims.
The plans for East Park School sound great, what can I do to help?
Please register your support using our online form. We will be able to contact you with occasional updates by email about the progress of the school proposal. Please also contact us if you would like to sign up to help – this could involve handing out flyers or being a local point of contact at your primary school or church for the school proposal.
Please spread the word about East Park School to any friends or contacts who you think may be interested in the school or supporting the application. Thank you!
We are hoping that the proposed new school will be located in the Henry Raine School building, the site of the old Raines Foundation School that closed down in July 2020. Raine's School Foundation who own the building are one of our key partners on the free school, they have been providing education in East London since 1719, and this fully refurbished building is an ideal setting for a new school to continue this 300-year-old legacy. However, the Department for Education will ultimately have the final say and responsibility for determining the location of the school once the application is given approval.
Will East Park School be Primary or Secondary?
East Park School will initially cater for pupils of Secondary school age.
Will East Park School be a private school?
No, the application is for East Park School to be a free school. Free schools receive funding from the Department for Education. Free schools are accountable to the Department directly, rather than to the local authority, and have the freedom to set their own school terms and days, curriculum and staff pay and conditions.
Why has the East Park School partnered with Fulham Boys School?
We are aiming to open East Park School under the auspices of the FBS Trust. This new Trust is passionate about its distinctive brand of education which is committed to establishing schools that are built upon the Christian faith, nurture enterprise and are geared to bring out the best in boys and girls. The Trust is determined to influence the educational landscape nationally and globally and provide real choice.
What will the admissions criteria be?
The school will be open to applicants of all faiths and none, with 50% of places reserved for Christian families if oversubscribed.
What is a Faith place?
Faith places will be for pupils whose parents/carers are practising members of a Christian church which is an Anglican church or a full member of “Churches Together in Britain and Ireland” or “The Evangelical Alliance”. Church attendance will need to be verified by a priest/vicar of the relevant church.
Do my children need to be Christian/churchgoers to attend East Park School?
Not at all; our school will be open (and welcoming!) to those of all faiths and none.
In what way will the East Park School be a faith school?
- East Park School will be built upon the Christian faith and Christian principles.
- There is more than ‘process’ at the heart of education. We will ask what people are, their purpose and what they will become.
- Everyone will learn about Christian values, as described in the Bible and demonstrated perfectly by Jesus Christ. We will aim to follow these values as a community.
- Everyone will have regular and varied opportunities to learn about the main tenets of Christianity through assemblies, and form time reflection as well as by the Christian approach to every school subject being taught, debated and discussed in lessons.
- Everyone, including pupils from other faiths and of no faith, will have the opportunity and will be encouraged to think and ask questions about Christian beliefs and claims. Each one will be able to give their own view in response, whatever that may be. Pupils will be given the opportunity to think critically about the big questions of life particularly through RE Lessons and PSHCE.
- The Christian ethos will have an impact on every area of school life, be that assemblies, form times, lessons, break and lunchtimes, sports afternoons or any other occasion. It will have an impact on learning, behaviour, PSHCE, pastoral care and pupil and staff welfare. There will be 6 core Christian values per year (one per half term) e.g. thankfulness, being good neighbours which will permeate the teaching and learning.
- The school will aim to appoint its own Chaplain, to provide spiritual and moral guidance as well as leading assemblies and services at special occasions. As in The Fulham Boys School, pupils of no faith and other faiths will be expected to attend and show respect but will equally be encouraged and given opportunities to question and challenge all they hear
- The school will ensure those of other religions, and of none, are welcomed as an integral part of our school. Ofsted (May 2017) observed at our partner school, The Fulham Boys School, ‘Debate and discussion are encouraged through an active Christian Union, which the pupils told inspectors they value very much...Christian values of the school are clear while at the same time everyone is welcome and included'.
- We seek to encourage and help each individual in the pursuit of excellence, and to build on and develop God given talents.
You mention Enterprise, what exactly does that mean?
- We want our pupils to ‘be’ enterprising rather than simply those who ‘do’ enterprise. Our curriculum and co-curriculum will provide all boys and girls to develop a breadth of interests to build confidence and broaden horizons. Our pupils will be willing to give anything a go; to this end they will have a bucket list in Years 7-9 to ensure they have a varied co-curricular offer.
- Pupils will be encouraged to participate in a wide range of activities of an enterprising nature. This will include participation in the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.
- We want young people who will improve society and we will encourage them to challenge our culture and question current values and trends. For example, A group of FBS pupils several years ago were taken to the Calais Jungle to play football against refugee children, visiting some of the men and women in the camp and distributing aid. Such experiences broaden young people’s understanding, expose them to real world problems ensuring that pupils understand how personal ambition must combine with social compassion.
- Our pupils will be encouraged to take a lead in all aspects of school life, run their own School Council, run clubs, school stationary shop and take an active role in organising social enterprise projects, peer support and sporting, and musical activities.
- Our Enterprise programme will meet the demands of the Gatsby benchmarks.
What subjects will be taught at GCSE?
At Key Stage 4, for most students, a full complement of GCSE examination courses will be followed ensuring that the requirements of the English Baccalaureate are fulfilled. The curriculum will cater for individual needs based around a compulsory core of GCSEs in: English (including English Literature); Maths; Science; French or Spanish; History or Geography; RE; In addition pupils may choose 2 further option subjects.
We will offer the same subjects at KS4 that were on offer at KS3. In addition we will offer Business Studies, Product and BTEC Sport and BTEC Computing.
PSHCE will continue to be taught as a discrete subject as well as being mapped across the curriculum.
Pupils will do their Core PE during Sports Afternoons. They will also be encouraged/guided to pick up sports clubs in the Co-Curriculum.
Enterprise skills will continue to be developed in all subjects. There will also be Enterprise lessons during PHSCE and in the co-curriculum. This will enable pupils to work towards the Enterprise Award.
Pupils will complete 10 GCSEs. The most able pupils will be able to choose a curriculum which allows them to follow their academic aspirations to A level.
What size will classes be at East Park School?
Classes will be a maximum size of 24, to support individual attention and behaviour management. The cohort will be streamed where needed to ensure students are grouped with others of similar ability.
How will Sports be taught?
In the first year, Wednesday afternoons will be predominantly for Sport / PE. As more year groups join the school, sports afternoon will be a different afternoon for each year group.
However, as well as sport, Wednesday afternoon may also be used for other enrichment activities i.e. rehearsals for school shows, enterprise activities and making the most of London as our classroom.
Inter-House competitions will also take place on Wednesdays.
What will be provided for SEN students?
The East Park School SEN policy will be in line with the School ethos. As a school built upon Christian principles, we are committed to welcoming and meeting the needs of all students where possible. Therefore, provision for students with SEN is an integral part of the School's aims.
The plans for East Park School sound great, what can I do to help?
Please register your support using our online form. We will be able to contact you with occasional updates by email about the progress of the school proposal. Please also contact us if you would like to sign up to help – this could involve handing out flyers or being a local point of contact at your primary school or church for the school proposal.
Please spread the word about East Park School to any friends or contacts who you think may be interested in the school or supporting the application. Thank you!