ABSTRACT
In September 2015, the only Secondary University Training School in the UK opened. The University of Birmingham School, set up under the Academies Act 2010, was established as a free school. Explicit efforts were made to create an inclusive and comprehensive school, through, for example, an admissions policy that draws students from across four ‘nodes’ of the city where the school is located, mixed ability class organisation and a comprehensive programme of enrichment. The Principal of the school, Michael Roden, was in post for a year before the school opened, enabling him to develop structures and policies to facilitate inclusion. After three and a half years, and with 716 students on roll, Michael reflects, in conversation with Julie Allan, a governor of the school and member of the university, on the journey so far. Their conversation highlights some of the challenges of setting up an effective governance structure in a newly established school and managing a significant turnover of staff and a relative lack of experience among the governors. They also explore the accountability operating within the unique governance context of free schools.
