We've passed 500

More than 550 people have now signed our petition with quite a surge in the wake of the news that there is an alternative to the proposed Free Schools.

Please help us to make it much bigger.

Circulate the online petition link as widely as you can:
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/support-waltham-forests-local-community-schools.html

Can you help us by downloading a petition and collecting signatures locally?
Download our hard copy petition here


And here are just a few of the comments we've received on the petition from local residents and parents :

"I support LBWF in their proposal to provide state back secondary education for all in Walthamstow and hope the DfE will do the same."

"I would like the whole community to stay together after primary into secondary school. Otherwise it's segregation. The council needs the funds to set up inclusive community schools for all. Secondary education must be a priority. Let excellent primary schools become through schools so they can also provide the secondary years and give parents confidence that children will be looked after well from 11 years up. Keep religion out of schools. Tolerate everyone's beliefs but don't promote religions in school time. Just let children and families practice their religions at home and in their own individual way at school. There is a urgency to provide more secondary quality education. There is a big
demand on primary places and this is going to carry through to secondary."

"My children currently attend Buxton Primary and will go through to the Secondary phase. I fully support this school not only as a parent, but as Primary Staff and in the past as a Parent Governor."

"We have good community schools serving the entire community. Let us not undermine this by pandering to religious groups and middle class parents whose fears are based mainly on ignorance of what the state system has to offer."

"Please consider this petition and the very sensible points it raises. Don't destroy our local school system."
 

"Support existing schools, and promote integration, rather than segregation."

"We have a 19 month toddler and would like to settle in Waltham Forest long term. We are soon to be moving to Leytonstone. However, we need to be sure that there will be enough secondary school places and good enough schools in the borough. I don't believe in 'free' schools run by, and for, a select few. Quality education should be available to all, this should be a basic right like the National Health service."
 

"Creating new schools, allowing them to select, thus "proving" they work does not raise standards for all, only widens the gap."
 

"I feel that all options should be explored before resorting to a free school. In this incredibly diverse community there is such a strong argument for community schools that bring everyone together rather than specialist schools which could drive people apart."

"I am a School Governor in Waltham Forest. Both schools where I am a Governor are Waltham Forest LA schools. There is already provision for single sex education for Secondary School students. I believe that all children in this Borough should have access to the National Curriculum and have fully trained Teachers and Support Staff."


"We need to focus investment on our existing secondary schools and, in particular, invest in some proper sixth form provision as all the secondary schools only run to 16 and therefore limit the pool of possible applicants for teaching posts as the best secondary teachers often prefer to have some A level teaching opportuniities."


"The proposed Free Schools are not necessary, will divide our community and will take scarce resources away from our existing schools. All local schools need to be under local control accountable to tax payers."