18 new Free Schools announced by PM

David Cameron launched a new wave of Free Schools, as part of the Conservative manifesto pledge for the 2015 General Election which aims to deliver 500 free schools by 2020. The Prime Minister said the new schools will create 9,000 new places.

The previous wave of free schools was announced in March, with one located in the North East. The Sunderland Centre of Opportunity is set to open in September 2016 within the Beacon of Light and it will be an alternative provision school for 90 young people who have been excluded, or are at risk of exclusion, from mainstream school.

Polam Hall School in Darlington and Wynyard Church of England Primary School were also part of a previous free school wave, and will open their doors for the first time this September.

In his speech, the PM said “the aim of this policy is crystal clear – to increase the number of good and outstanding school places so that more parents have

the security of knowing their child is getting a great education.” You can read his speech in full here.

Director of the New Schools Network (which supports the opening of free schools) Nick Timothy told the BBC that “free schools are better placed to drive up standards and give parents what they want because they give more control to heads, teachers and governors, rather than politicians and bureaucrats.”

Teaching unions have criticised the opening of new free schools, considering the Prime Minister’s pledge a “series of untruths and misrepresentations”. Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers (NUT) commented on the announcement: “David Cameron’s claim that free schools are likely to perform better than other schools is ludicrous. Only 136 of the 254 open free schools have to date had a Section 5 inspection – with such a small sample no genuine comparison can be made.”

Other teaching unions have chimed in with similar opinions, you can find them all in the links below.

The announcement comes days after the Local Government Association (LGA) called for the Government to inform parents of free school delays before national offer day – mid-April, rather than August.

Reactions:

ASCL: Free schools must be ‘part of coherent strategy’

NUT: Free Schools press release

NASUWT: Comment on free schools announcement

NAHT: New schools should only open where there’s a shortage of places

ATL: New wave of free schools

Further reading:

Prime Minister: we will not waver in free school pledge (DfE Press Release)

Cameron launches wave of free schools (BBC)

David Cameron announces 18 new free schools (Schools Week)

David Cameron vows he ‘will not waver’ on pledge to open 500 free schools (TES News)

Cameron reveals latest free schools to make the grade (The Times) (£)