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Education Secretary Michael Gove has today unveiled the next step in the Government’s school reform programme. He outlined the process for allowing teachers, charities and parents to set up new schools – Free Schools – in response to parental demand. Free Schools are independent state schools run by teachers not bureaucrats or politicians and accountable to parents.

The Government has already set out plans to give teachers the option to take on greater professional freedoms. Today’s announcement will see the Government harnessing the passion and innovation of teachers even further by allowing them to set up schools for the first time.

The announcement follows the example of the successful Charter School movement in the US. The lives of disadvantaged children have been transformed by Charter Schools set up by teachers in deprived areas. President Obama is highly supportive of the policy and is looking to expand the number of Charter Schools. The best academic research shows that the setting up of new schools can greatly improve school standards for all children. In New York, Charter Schools have dramatically closed the gap between the performance of students in inner city neighbourhoods and those from the wealthiest suburbs. The vast majority that have benefited from these schools have been the poorest children – 90 per cent are on free or reduced price meals.

One of the most successful chains of Charter Schools is the Knowledge Is Power Programme schools (KIPP). Nationally more than 85 per cent of KIPP students have gone on to college despite over 80 per cent of students coming from low income families with children on free or reduced price meals.

KIPP schools were set up by teachers from Teach for America, a programme to get elite teachers into schools in poorer areas. Similar programmes such as Teach First and its sisters Future Leaders and Teaching Leaders already exist in this country. Future Leaders and Teaching Leaders develop outstanding leaders for urban schools in disadvantaged areas. The Government believes they will have an important impact on the Free School programme. Many teachers from these programmes are already planning new schools.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has today

• Set out the process for how groups can start new schools and published a Proposal form for groups to fill out.

• Stated the Government’s commitment to making it easier to secure sites for new schools. This will include allowing a wider range of sites, including residential and commercial property, to be used as schools without the need for ‘change of use’ consent. There will also be an extension of powers to protect existing schools sites, to make sure they are kept available for use by new schools where there is demand.

• In addition the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government will update guidelines to local planning authorities to make it clear there is a presumption in favour of setting up of new schools.

• Reallocated £50 million of funding from the Harnessing Technology Grant to create a Standards and Diversity Fund. This will provide capital funding for Free Schools up to 31 March 2011. Funding for Free Schools will be a top priority for the Department for Education in the forthcoming Spending Review.

• Written to the New Schools Network to establish a formal relationship and to offer a £500,000 of initial funding to help make sure groups across the country get the support they need to start forming schools. The New Schools Network will act as the first point of contact for all groups who wish to start schools and will provide them with information as they go through the process and prepare their proposals.

Education Secretary Michael Gove said:

The most important element of a great education is the quality of teaching and Free Schools will enable excellent teachers to create new schools and improve standards for all children. This Government believes that passionate teachers who want to make a real difference to education should have the opportunity. That’s why I am today inviting groups to complete a proposal form and enter a process to set up new ‘Free Schools’.

Hundreds of groups, from teachers themselves to charities such as the Sutton Trust, have expressed an interest in starting great new schools. Just like the successful charter schools in the US, supported across the political spectrum, these schools will have the freedom to innovate and respond directly to parents’ needs. The new Free Schools will also be incentivised to concentrate on the poorest children by the introduction of this Government’s Pupil Premium which will see schools receiving extra funds for educating children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

In this country, too often the poorest children are left with the worst education while richer families can buy their way to quality education via private schools or expensive houses. By allowing new schools we will give all children access to the kind of education only the rich can afford – small schools with small class sizes, great teaching and strong discipline.

Responding:

Jodie King, a participant on the Future Leaders programme and Deputy Headteacher at a comprehensive in West London, said:

I believe that the freedom to set up new schools is a real opportunity to transform lives for disadvantaged children. Where Free Schools are led by Future Leaders, I believe that they will have the highest expectations and aspirations for the young people who most need them, providing a focus on literacy and numeracy within a curriculum that allows no child to slip through the net. This exciting opportunity will appeal to hundreds of aspiring heads on the Future Leaders network and beyond.

Heath Monk, Chief Executive Officer of Future Leaders, said:

Free Schools have the potential to transform the life chances for children in the most disadvantaged areas. Our Future Leaders have been inspired by the inner-city charter schools that they have seen in the US – and many would relish the opportunity to lead similar schools here.

Brett Wigdortz, CEO and Founder of Teach First, said:

A number of our ambassadors (alumni) are interested in either working in or helping set up Free Schools in challenging urban areas where innovative approaches can help transform children’s life chances. This is very much in keeping with Teach First’s long-term mission to address educational disadvantage by developing and empowering our network of ambassadors to bring about social change.

Sajid Hussain, Future Leader in a comprehensive in Bradford, said:

I welcome today’s announcement. School leaders now have a chance to address the imbalance of a quality education in socially deprived areas and develop a platform that can become a springboard for others to join such as charities, philanthropists, parents and employers. I believe competition will drive up standards and will help existing schools to do more in parental engagement and raise their game in delivering better standards in teaching and learning. New small Free Schools with personalized curriculums will also be particularly effective for children and young people with learning difficulties or disabilities.

Jon De Maria, parent and member of the Neighbourhood School Campaign in Wandsworth, said:

This new policy is what we have been waiting for in Wandsworth. We strongly believe in the principle of good local schools and children of all backgrounds being educated together. This policy change will allow us to provide the best gift we as parents can give to our small children – a local, inclusive education where our kids can walk to their new secondary school with their existing mates from primary school.

Rachel Wolf, Director of the New Schools Network said:

It is fantastic news that the hundreds of teachers, parents and other organisations we have been working with can now apply to set up a school. We look forward to working further with them and new potential providers to ensure that children across the country - and particularly in the poorest areas - get the great teachers and great education they deserve.

Edward Lister, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said:

No one’s done more than Wandsworth to break the stranglehold of the one-size-fits-all secondary school. We’ve encouraged our schools to break free of the authority and develop their own identity. Making sure each school could offer something different was the first stage in opening up choice for parents. Now we have to go one step further. Offering variety within the system is not enough. We now have to create the conditions where new school providers are able to respond quickly and flexibly to changing demands. The great thing about Free Schools is that they enable parents to decide their own priorities. This will be a challenge to the norms of the state system. Some Free Schools might opt for smaller class sizes, others would go for a longer school day. The impact of this revolution will be felt in every school – that’s why we can’t wait to get started in Wandsworth.

Notes to editors

• All applicants for new schools will be thoroughly checked for their suitability to run a school as part of the approval process. The Secretary of State will reject any proposers who advocate violence, intolerance, hatred or whose ideology runs counter to the UK’s democratic values.When writing the proposal, groups will have to set out:
  - the aims and objectives of the new school;
  - the main people and organisations involved in the project;
  - evidence of parental demand (e.g. a petition);
  - an outline of the curriculum and their teaching methods; and
  - possible premises that have been considered.

• At a later date successful groups will have to complete a full business plan including setting out the school’s financial viability. Groups who wish to set up schools will have to comply with all aspects of rigorous suitability and vetting tests throughout the application process including due diligence and CRB checks.

• For detailed information on the criteria and process for setting up a new school, visit http://www.education.gov.uk/freeschools/settingupafreeschool.

• To download the proposal form, visit http://www.education.gov.uk/freeschools/proposalform

• To read the full letter from the Department for Education to the New Schools Network, visit http://www.education.gov.uk/freeschools