The Hampton Society wishes to take this opportunity to make further observations about the choice of Kunskapsskolan as the academy sponsor for Hampton Community College (HCC) and Whitton School.

Kunskapsskolan is the largest operator of secondary schools in the independent sector in Sweden. It was founded as a business enterprise and opened its first school in 1999.

It now accounts for one 10th of the independent secondary school market. However, there are just under one million students of secondary age in Sweden (12 to 19 year olds).

Measured against that, Kunskapsskolan schools have a less than two per cent share of the overall secondary market.

Most Swedish secondary children attend state schools where teaching methods and school organisation is very similar to that in England but it is the Kunskapsskolan enterprise that is described by the councillors in Richmond as the 'Swedish model'.

Second, let us unpick the statement that Kunskapsskolan has considerable experience of administering English schools. As far as we know, no school in England is administered by a headteacher employed by Kunskapsskolan.

There must be some Kunskapsskolan teachers who have experience of teaching GCSEs but no school in England has operated GCSE courses under Kunskapsskolan’s system and to that extent this is an unknown quantity.

The question of appropriate buildings arises next. The cabinet member for education services tells us Kunskapsskolan’s education can only be delivered in tailormade buildings.

We have a number of ancient schools in this country worldfamous for their quality of education that adapt and extend rather than engage in total demolition.

At HCC, a new library and IT resources centre has just opened and, while other parts of the buildings may be in need of renovation, it does not seem necessary to destroy the whole structure.

We are told that in order to operate Kunskapsskolan’s methods, there will need to be “schools within schools”. Are there to be three or four separate buildings on the HCC site?

Or an unacceptably high building that will accommodate a different “school” on each floor? Or one large building with three or four “wings”

leading off a large central hall?

The movement of children from one part of the building to another is time-consuming and confusing. Will these “schools-within-schools” be organised in terms of agerange, ability or subject interest?

Whatever plan is adopted, Kunskapsskolan’s teaching methods will require further modification.

One serious problem is that of students who simply do not fit into Kunskapsskolan’s system.

The director of development himself is at pains to point out that all children are different and that the company does not operate a “one size fits all approach”.

There must be an alternative school available for these children.

If HCC and Whitton were both to be sponsored by Kunskapsskolan, this amounts to a deprivation of those children’s education.

It is most important that Richmond Council should take every opportunity to consider independent reviews of the Kunskapsskolan system.

Numerous questions remain to be aired and answered at a public open forum, where any decisions formulated should be recognised by the council and acted upon in accordance with the wishes expressed at the forum.

JEAN ALEN
Hampton Society