You raise a good question, Satchers. All Free Schools will be subject to the Schools Admissions Code, like other schools in Lewisham and throughout the UK. As for over-subscription criteria which, after all, is what counts when a school has more applications than places, that remains to be seen.

It is something that we will work through with the Department for Education if our initial proposal is approved. Crucially, we haven't found a site yet and that is a big hurdle to cross. We are looking at some potential locations in SE23, SE26, SE6, SE4 and SE13. I'm not going to name them because of the commercial sensitivity of any negotiations. Besides, we can't enter into any real conversations with private owners about buying or leasing until we know the funding will be available.

Lastly, I would agree with you that there are a lot of people getting their hopes up. This is evidenced by the rising pre-registrations that are coming mainly from what Lewisham council calls PPPL1, roughly Forest Hill and Sydenham, but also from much more broadly in the borough. That demand is coming from this locale isn't surprising. This is where the birth rate has risen 35 percent in a decade and where the shortage of primary places is most acute.

So, I have told the DfE that, given the very strong demand that we are experiencing, our group would consider working with like-minded parents in other areas - in the borough or beyond - to help with proposing other Montessori primary Free Schools. This is, naturally, contingent on Primrose House proving to be a successful school.

I hope that we can bring the option of choosing a Montessori education to many more families. In the meantime, if you would like to discuss further, you can PM me, check out our website http://www.primroseprimary.com or our facebook page (search "Lewisham Montessori"). Feel free to get in touch if I can help further.