Commenting on the latest round of applications for the creation
of new free schools, Dr Mary
Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“Once again, this Government is throwing taxpayers’ money at its
pet project free schools instead of taking a long hard look at
where investment is most needed after a decade in which schools
across England have been starved of cash.
“The Government’s academy and free schools programme is in
crisis. Almost 70 ‘orphan schools’ do not have a sponsor and yet
the Government recklessly wants to expand the programme.
“The most sensible and financially sound way to get new school
places in the areas and phases of education that most need them
is to allow local authorities to establish new maintained schools
and to give them the legal powers to instruct academies and free
schools to expand where they have the capacity to do so. Instead
the Government’s reckless approach is to invest millions of
pounds in new schools regardless of local need.
“The Government continues to make wild claims to justify its free
schools programme. Once the 23 free schools that have had to
close due to serious failings are factored in, free schools are
less likely to be rated good or outstanding by Ofsted than other
state-funded schools. Furthermore, free schools are far more
likely to be judged requires improvement or inadequate than other
state schools. (1)”
Editor’s Note
(1) Warwick Mansell, ‘Revealed: string of
free schools failing Ofsted inspections’, Education Uncovered, 05
Sep 2019
