Free Schools: Academic Concerned Over Impact

A university professor has raised concerns that free schools could take the best teachers, pupils and funding away from already failing schools.

Professor Alan Smithers, who acts as an adviser to the education select committee, told Sky News free schools will bring new ideas and enthusiasm but also have a significant impact on the whole school system.

The University of Buckingham professor said: "The difficulty I have is to see how the free schools and the academies and all the other types of schools are going to fit together into a coherent system.

"How are we going to be able to guarantee to parents that when their sons and daughters come up to school age there's going to be a good place available for them, irrespective of who they are or where they live?"

Free schools are based on the same ethos as academy schools, free to run their own budgets, set their own curriculum and hours and free from local council control.

But they will be entirely new rather than based on existing schools and run by groups of parents as well as teachers.

In September, between 10 and 20 are set to open following a flood of applications.

In the first round the Department for Education received 323 applications; in the second it had 281. So far 32 have been passed to go through to the pre-opening stage.

One of those to open later this year - Woodpecker Hall in Enfield, north London - will at first use classrooms on the site of Cuckoo Hall academy.

Denying claims they will cherry pick the best teachers and pupils, head teacher Patricia Sowter told Sky News: "I don't feel you should dumb down all schools in order to ensure that children are sent to failing schools.

"We already have a system where parents try to seek out to the best of their ability the best school for their children.

"It just so happens that in areas that have more disadvantage there's less choice of excellent schools, so I'm providing parents with that choice."

While Enfield Council supports the new school, it has expressed concern that much-needed funding will be diverted away from education in the borough.

Kayley Putz, who will be sending her son Kieron to Woodpecker Hall Free School after finding a serious shortage of primary school places in Enfield, said: "I have slight concerns obviously because it's a new thing.

"But I think for Kieron it's what he will achieve from it - and the fact that the school are doing it in the first place just shows they know what they are doing and as a parent that gives you a bit more confidence as well."

So far the coalition Government has not revealed the cost of the project.