NEU analysis of Government data shows that more
than £300 million in one-off capital and revenue
grants has been spent on failed free schools, University
Technical Colleges (UTCs) and studio schools since 2010. The
research also finds that one in
eight schools which opened under the free school
banner – a flagship Conservative policy - went on either to close
completely or were transferred to another academy trust.
The main findings of the NEU research show that:
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£303 million has been spent on failed free schools, UTCs
and studio schools since 2010, according to Government data. Of
this total, £295 million was spent on those schools that either
closed completely or were transferred to new trusts while £8
million was spent on 65 approved schools that never even
opened.
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One in eight (76) of the 624 free schools, UTCs and
studio schools that have opened since 2010 has been
unsuccessful, either closing, announcing closure or being
“rebrokered” to another academy trust. Sixty per cent of these
unsuccessful schools (45 in total) have closed completely or
announced closure, while 31 have been rebrokered.
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Of the £295 million, the total spend on the 45 schools
that closed completely was £186 million while £108 million was
spent on set up costs for the 31 schools that were subsequently
rebrokered.
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The real total is likely to be even higher as the
Government data does not yet include all the unsuccessful free
schools, UTCs and studio schools.
Of the £295 million spent on closed (45) or rebrokered (31)
schools, £240 million went on the capital costs (“site
acquisition” and “construction” costs) of these projects with £55
million shelled out in the form of one-off revenue grants
(“project development” and “post opening” grants).
Commenting on the findings, Kevin
Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the
National Education Union, said:
“These figures reveal a shocking record of failure and
waste that has been the hallmark of the free school programme.
Conservative politicians should be ashamed of the fact that one
in eight of these schools has not been successful and that this
has incurred a staggering waste of taxpayers’ money to the tune
of over £300 million. The free school policy is one of the few
specific education commitments made in the Conservative Party
manifesto. Continuing to pursue this tainted and wasteful vanity
project is bad enough, but to do so while refusing to give other
schools the funds they desperately need is a disgrace.
“Free school closures are not just a huge waste of money –
they also cause massive upheaval, disruption and distress for the
staff, pupils and parents affected. It is usually the local
authority that is left to pick up the pieces, such as finding new
school places for pupils when a school closes. This puts extra
financial and resource burdens on councils when they themselves
lack sufficient finances.
“There is simply no justification for continuing with this
damaging and wasteful policy while starving other schools of
adequate funding. It is time to knock the policy on the head and
use the money this will free up to help ensure that existing
schools get the funds they need.”
Editor’s Note
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Data on the revenue and capital costs of free schools,
UTCs and studio schools, including projects that did not open,
was obtained from the following Government releases:
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Information about closed and rebrokered schools from Get
Information About Schools (https://get-information-schools.service.gov.uk/).
This data does not always accurately record when a free school
has closed or been rebrokered. In these cases closure or
rebrokering has been verified from other sources.
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The attached tables set out: Government expenditure on
approved free schools, UTCs and studio schools that did not go
on to open; Expenditure on closed and rebrokered free schools,
UTCs and studio schools.
