As I said before, great campaign, but your comment about the campaign working together with the Council is just blatant journalist speak as it isn't true. This Council has currently no policy interest in promoting free schools and like many others is waiting for central government guidance as to how to handle expressions of interest and indeed fund such ventures. To portray this being some sort of joint venture out of mutual interest therefore is just unacceptable.

It is true that the shortage of places cannot be alleviated by temporary measures alone which is why Lewisham Council and other Councils in London has been approaching local schools with longer term masterplanning proposals. But you don't mention that bit of information! These may not include a new school but it doesn't preclude significant remodelling to ensure that our existing schools are up to 21st century educational provision. All of this is however subject to funding which could be derailed due to funds being diverted into these free schools

Sarah, I applaud your committment but there are also others in the community putting in a great deal of time and effort into voluntary initiatives such as playgroups, toddler groups, and school governance to ensure equality of opportunity and to ensure that we do not end up with a divisive two tier system which is being proposed by this Government. I am sure you have the best of intentions but I do think people should stand back and question if this Governments approach is in fact the best way forward.

You are clearly experienced and expert in your field of journalism and doing the marketing stuff but at the end of the day this campaign is presenting factually unsupported arguments to progress its case.

The point about choice is that a free school with a particular educational philosophy such as or even a specific religion will actually reduce choice. That is my view as a parent.Put a different take on this and assume a group of parents campaign to have a C of E School in a local area. As neither my nor my children are religious and I wouldn;t send them there, my children will not be going to this school. The Council has been forced into supporting this school financially and in other ways hence using considerable resources which have been diverted from the modernisation and repair budgets. This school is actually the most local school to us but as my children won't be attending then they won't benefit from it. The next available school is a considerable distance away and is under significant pressure due to parents not wanting their children to attend the C of E school either. The classes are overcrowded and more portakabins are ordered for temporary accommodation. The C of E school on the other hand dwindles as more and more people move away from religion and want a more secular education.
So the mere fact this school exists reduces the choice of people who do not want their children to go to a religious school. Replace C of E with Montessori and you have a similar problem, probably more so, as it is still very much a marginal philosophy with teachers that are not QTS.

I can appreciate the number of reasons why people sign petitions to support something new and innovative which meets a perceived need, but ultimately when it comes down to it, how many parents are going to risk their childs education with Montessori. There is as I see no strong business case for such a school.