THE principal of Plymouth College of Art has defended plans to open a 900-pupil free school in the city.

Professor Andrew Brewerton, pictured right, called for "enthusiasm and support" from city headteachers as the college bids to launch the Plymouth School of Creative Arts.

He was responding to concerns raised by "disappointed" Tor Bridge Group executive principal Graham Browne earlier this week.

The proposed free school could be open to children aged four-16 as soon as September next year.

Its focus would be on the arts and creative learning, rather than Government-set targets.

Mr Browne criticised aspects of the proposals and said city schools already offered "beyond outstanding" creative arts opportunities.

Responding to his concerns, Prof Brewerton hit back at suggestions the free school was being used to expand Plymouth College of Art.

"I think it's a mistake to portray our proposal as a critique of Plymouth schools," he said.

"It would be a more serious error to personalise our free school proposal as institution building.

"This is precisely not a question of this, or that, particular school or college. We need what's good for Plymouth, and what will raise the aspirations of young people.

"Most of all we need creative investment in our children and in our city economy.

"I would have thought that a radical creative education project of the kind we are designing in open consultation would attract the goodwill, enthusiasm and support of anyone interested in creativity across the curriculum, regardless of institutional self-interest. I hope that is achievable, for Plymouth."

Plymouth College of Art must submit its plans by February 24. Like academies, free schools are funded directly by the Government but fall outside local authority control, giving them more freedom to set their own timetables, curriculum and term dates, as well as staff pay and conditions.

Prof Brewerton said it represented the opportunity to launch a "new model" of creative learning ahead of a review of the national curriculum in 2014.

He emphasised the "brilliant" creative learning in place already in city schools, but added: "We don't think there's much room for complacency here, and believe Plymouth and its pupils both need and deserve more.

"It is time for action, and innovation in practice, and we should be aiming to influence that review.

"We are aiming to develop innovative answers to questions that, it is perfectly evident, clearly frustrate parents and teachers alike.

"I've yet to meet a headteacher enchanted with this target culture, or sold on the national obsession we seem to have with flawed league tables.

"The best headteachers and teachers, in my experience, do their excellent work despite those pressures, not because of them.

"They do it in a straightjacket imposed by the national curriculum and the audit culture of hyper-accountability and league tables.

"Amongst other schools, Tor Bridge High and Lipson Community College do fantastic work in arts education of which they are rightly proud," Prof Brewerton added.

"I invite them, and any other Plymouth primary or secondary school, to work with us on the future of the full continuum of creative education in our city. Most of all, we're inviting parents to help us to make their aspirations our aspirations by writing in with their support."

emoore@theply mouthher ald.co.uk