SOUTHEND’S first free school could open as early as next year.

Two women behind the Princes’ Community School have reached the final stages of their bid to open a school which will cater for children who struggle at mainstream schools.

While national curriculum subjects will be taught, with extra focus on literacy and numeracy, the Government-funded school will also offer “robust pastoral support”, with classes focusing on self-esteem, anger management and behaviour modification.

If it gets the go ahead next month, the school, which will open in central Southend, will be the culmination of a two-year quest by mother and daughter team, Helen and Emma Prince.

Emma Prince, 26, from Hadleigh, who is a behavioural mentor at Cornelius Vermuyden School, Canvey, said: “We hope to help children overcome whatever barriers they have to learning.

“Everybody can apply, but there will be a number of places for children who have free school meals, or who are in care, to help them achieve as much as they can.

“Secondary schools in Southend are brilliant, but when you have a large number of children in a class, some can fall through the net. We aim to provide a net to catch them.

“Working in the community will be a big part of what we do.

“Children will work on voluntary projects to give them a sense of giving something back.”

If successful, it will be Southend’s first free school. The Government scheme allows parents and local groups to set up their own school to suit local needs.

The school, which will be in a refurbished building in central Southend yet to be chosen by the Department for Education, will take 80 Year 7 pupils, aged 11, in its first year.

This will be followed by a further 80 each year until the school reaches its maximum intake of 420 pupils.

Parents have already signed up to fill 47 per cent of the available places in the first year with class sizes to be restricted to 20 pupils, as opposed to the national average of 26.

Miss Prince added: “We find out in early July if we have been successful.

“If we are, we will open our doors for the first group of youngsters in September 2013.

“We will be at open evenings in October in schools, such as the Westborough School, talking to Year 5 parents and giving out information to parents of prospective pupils.”

Helen Prince, 56, also from Hadleigh, teaches English at Chase High School, Westcliff. She is being assessed for her suitability to become the school’s first principal.

She said: “We are hoping it will set a new trend to change the way education is delivered in schools. It will be project-based, so children will be in involved in learning and have a say.

“We want to focus on going back to basics of literacy and numeracy. We know 20 per cent of children starting secondary school are illiterate and that is shocking.

“We are hoping this way of learning will engage children and make it more of a collaborative process.”

For more information, visit www. princescommunityschool.com