Royal School Wolverhampton officially reopens as a free school

The Royal School Wolverhampton, established as a boarding school during the 1940s, has now become a free school, cutting its £29,000 per year fees under plans set out by former Prime Minister David Cameron last year.

In a bid to have 500 new free schools in the UK by 2020, Mr Cameron made the pledge which will now see pupils at the school who don't board, pay nothing.

Families of children who still board at the school will see their fees drop to a charge of up to £12,000 a year from £13,000.

As well as teaching Eric Idle, the school in Penn Road taught Second World War hero Montagu Dawson and journalist Gilbert Harding.

Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Schools, formally opened the school on Thursday which has been in operation as a free school since the start of the academic year.

During the visit, Lord Nash was given a tour of the school – which originally opened as an 'orphan asylum' in 1850 – by senior prefects and met with School Governors, staff members, parents and pupils before giving a brief speech.

He said: "The free school programme has become remarkably successful, we now have more than 400 free school opened during the last five years.

"We'd like to welcome the Royal into the free school programme. I'm very confident that, after being here, that this will become another outstanding free school.

"I hope all the pupils realise how lucky they are to be here and I have great pleasure in announcing the Royal has joined our free schools programme."

He then unveiled a plaque reading 'The Royal School Wolverhampton after 166 years as an independent school was officially opened as a Free School on 3 November, 2016 by Lord Nash.'

The school will now welcome more than 1,000 students, compared to the 550 it used to teach.

The board of governors has taken on the responsibility of leading the new school together with the Senior Leadership Team, headed by Mr Mark Heywood as Principal.

Principal Mark Heywood said: "It is our aspiration to make The Royal School part of an educational hub for the city that will benefit the entire community of Wolverhampton and work with our local and regional partners to raise expectations and outcomes for the young people of the city and surrounding areas."