Beccles Free School claims to be "outstanding" before it even opens

In a glossy half page advert in the Beccles and Bungay Journal some hyperbolic claims are made about Beccles Free School under the heading The Freedom to excel in an inspiring environment. Quite what is inspiring about a former infants school in Carlton Colville I have no idea but what is really incredible is the claim made by John Lucas the new Headteacher that:

I am delighted and excited to be part of the team heading this outstanding school at the heart of the community

At first glance this just looks like more Seckford spin but actually the phrase an “outstanding school” has a specific and well understood meaning. That is a school judged outstanding by Ofsted.

As Beccles Free School does not exist and has not been inspected it can hardly make the claim to be outstanding. Schools work hard to gain an “outstanding” rating following years of hard work and proven success. For that reason I am submitting a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about this advert asking them to rule that this use of “outstanding” is misleading. I will keep you posted as to what happens...