School bans word school from name

A new primary school has banned the use of the word "school" in its title because it has "negative connotations". Watercliffe Meadow primary in Sheffield is to be known as a "place for learning" after governors decided that the traditional description sounded too "institutional".

The £6 million "learning experience", which opens on Monday, will also encourage pupils to wear soft shoes indoors and has got rid of the traditional school bell at the end of lessons, in order to make the place more welcoming.

"We decided from an early stage we didn't want to use the word 'school', this is Watercliffe Meadow, a place for learning," said Linda Kingdon, the head teacher.



"One reason was many of the parents of the children here had very negative connotations of school. Instead we want this to a be a place for family learning, where anyone can come. We wanted to de-institutionalise the place and bring the school closer to real life."

But the move was described as "ridiculous" and part of a "political correctness agenda" by the Campaign for Plain English, the organisation which opposes the use of gobbledygook in public life. "Here we are introducing our children to education and instead of giving them something familiar, something that they understand, we go and send them to a 'place for learning'," said Marie Clair, the organisation's spokeswoman.

"Who has spent time and money and effort thinking up this whole new idea? And to what benefit? We all know that they are going to be going to a school whatever you call it."