| StorageSite | UCL Institute of Education |
| Description | A miscellany of papers, documents, letters, etc which shed light on the internal life of the school.
Folder 1 includes:
- Letter from Nigel Wright asking for permission to use the school’s documentary records for his research, and the school’s response granting permission.
- Page with a quotation from the 1982 film “Missing”.
- Printed leaflet with information about how the White Lion Street Free School will be set up.
- Report of the school inspection, June 1982.
- The Memorandum of Association of the school’s company, “First London Free School Limited”, from the Companies Registration Office, dated 4 July 1972.
- Letter from Nigel Wright to Middlesex Polytechnic, dated 28 February 1980, suggesting that they consider sending students to White Lion Free School for teaching practice.
- Newspaper cutting from The Times Education Supplement, 13 August 1982, with a chart of “Percentage profiles for each local education authority in England”.
- Line drawings of the school building at 57 White Lion Street; one drawing features in a 1983 calendar.
- Parents’ newsletter, dated March 1980, accompanied by a parents’ questionnaire.
- Letter dated 29 April 1981, reminding parents about forthcoming important dates including the parents’ meeting.
- Job description for a teaching post at the school, dated December 1980.
- Letter from Nigel Wright to the Assistant Matron at Preedy House, dated 21 September 1979. He thanks her for showing him and two girls from the school around Preedy House, and confirms that the girls will be coming there again.
- Handwritten list of “Outside Agencies and Resources”, undated.
- Undated drafts, which were not adopted, outlining the school’s philosophy and aims, and code of practice. Another undated draft, also not adopted, outlines the steps involved in applying to the school.
- Document about a policy regarding political activity carried out in the school’s name, dated 11 January 1985.
- Leaflets entitled “Free School Principles” and “The Free School and Its Curriculum”.
- Income and expenditure projections for financial year 1980/1981.
- List entitled “What White Lion Free School Set Out To Do”, listing the aims of the school.
- Handwritten document regarding what the school was currently able to provide in terms of O-level qualifications, and what the school ought to provide.
- Letter from Nigel Wright to Mr D. Felsenstein, Senior Staff Inspector at ILEA, dated 7 June 1982, in advance of his visit to the school.
- Extracts from a report by the Inner London Education Authority’s Chief Education Officer on “Children with Special Difficulties”, July 1971.
- Letter dated 26 May 1975, enclosing a filled-out questionnaire entitled “Schools Council Project: Education of Disturbed Pupils”.
- Draft describing the school’s curriculum and activities, entitled “What Goes On At The Free School”. No author, no date.
- Document entitled “Ideas for the Planning Meeting”, dated 8 April 1979, written by Nigel. It discusses problems faced by the school, and proposed solutions.
- Flowchart outlining the admissions procedure for the school, and a typed list of points for consideration in the admissions process.
- Leaflet of “Questions Regarding the Free School”, listing a series of multiple-choice questions regarding various aspects of the school.
- Handwritten agenda for the Wednesday morning meeting of 14th October 1981.
- List of questions compiled by Nigel, asking the students whether they regard certain activities or concepts as “natural or unnatural”.
- List of points for discussion throughout the week, entitled “What We’d Like to Talk About”. Undated, no author.
- Report detailing topics which parents discussed with the staff of the school, a new structure for the day, and action by the National Union of Teachers during their pay dispute with the government.
- Document discussing the purpose of the school, the goals to be met to match the purpose, and the consequences of such goals.
- Letter from the staff of the school, dated 7 June 1984, inviting parents, children and staff to a meeting to resolve the challenges arising while the school is based in temporary premises.
- A ballot paper, undated.
- Handwritten notes on decisions taken to improve the school environment.
- List of thoughts on the school, by Nigel. Includes suggestions on how meetings should be conducted. (this has been noted on the letter as Restricted but there is nothing in it that requies it to be so)
Folder 2 - this folder is Restricted Access until 01/01/2084
- Handwritten account of the “older kids group” over a period of 5 years, by a staff member who worked there from 1981-1987.
- Chart containing names and ages of each child per year group.
- School timetable for the “older kids” group.
- Exercise book labelled “Nigel’s 1981 Book. Things to Do”.
- Typed report by Alison Truefitt, reflecting on the school’s principles and its development over the first few months since its founding.
- Copy of school timetable.
- Timetable for staff of the school, summer 1982.
- List of notes regarding the timetables, such as explaining the functions of the different rooms, and other activities which are not included on the timetable.
- List of statistics regarding the number of children who attended and left the school, dating from 1972 to 1983, and a handwritten lists of figures regarding the nursery.
- Notes from a staff member, undated and unsigned, discussing the problems with the school.
- Document entitled “Jonathan’s Brain”, dated 13 October 1982, suggesting possible changes to the running of the school. Another document, written by Katy in November 1982, is in response to this, further discussing the school’s problems and providing structural proposals.
Folder 3 is Closed until 01/01/2081. It contains:
- Project Working group report - notes that staff should be anonymised onthis report but then all staff names hae been added to the report at a later date.
- Letter about a pupil transferring ot the school, 14/3/1980 - pupil named and behaviour discussed.
- Extract from a letter from the Deputy Principal of Forbes House Assessment Centre, regarding a pupil’s behaviour. |