Ian Livingstone, the co-founder of Games Workshop is asking parents in Hammersmith and Fulham to sign a petition asking for the creation of a new free school in Hammersmith.

The Livingstone Foundation Academies Trust says it is aiming to create an outstanding secondary school in Hammersmith with a curriculum focusing on science, technology, engineering, art and maths.

The school has sponsorship approval from the Department of Education and says that with the support of local people, it hopes to open in September next year, giving parents a greater choice of secondary schools and the opportunity for their children to be educated within the borough.

This new, free school will cater for students from age 11 to 18. It will be moderately small, with 120 students in each of Years 7-11 and 200 in the Sixth Form, giving a total of 800 students.

The school says that with innovation, creativity and enterprise at its heart, all of the school’s students, regardless of background or ability, will be equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to enjoy a productive and rewarding future.

Britain’s technology companies rely heavily on computer literate students with strong computing, coding and creative skills, and with some of the world’s largest creative industries already situated in the borough (Walt Disney, FOX and EMI), the opportunities for young people are significant. However, there is a vacuum in computing expertise and demand far outstrips supply.

The Livingstone School Hammersmith will provide relevant teaching that addresses the lack of technological and creative expertise amongst students today.

Students will be taught by staff who are well qualified and digitally creative. They will motivate and inspire students across the curriculum, fostering curiosity and innovation.

Co-founder Ian Livingstone says: " A curriculum that delivers an education for the digital world is key, bringing the arts and sciences together to encourage innovation and creativity. Science, technology, engineering and maths are vital but art, music, drama and design make a vital contribution in promoting diverse thinking, self-expression and self-determination.

" Children as great problem-solvers and great communicators will have life skills for the jobs of the future. That is our goal."

Ian, who has been awarded both and OBE in 2006 and a CBE in 2013 for services to the computer gaming industry, has strong connections to our borough, having opened the first Games Workshop at 1 Dalling Road in 1978.

As well as founding the company, he was the co-author of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain in 1982, the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook in the series which has sold over 17 millions copies in 30 languages. During the 1980s and 1990s, these interactive books were used in schools to encourage reluctant readers and promote creative writing. Today, they are still used in schools to encourage problem solving and decision making.

You can find out more and sign the petition here.

 

January 9, 2015