Are "Free" Schools heading for trouble?

I think there is definitely trouble ahead. When schools were doing badly under the LEAs, it was local government's responsibility to get it sorted out. Now so many schools are independent of local councils, and the councils don't have the staff, expertise or the resources to take it on anyway, it's hard to see who and how it can be handled. A local authority school has to agree to be 'supported' but a free school or academy doesn't. It's OK saying schools will 'go out of business' if they are failing because parents will take their children away but that might not be straightforward either. It's not like changing the garage you go to! And I'm quite interested in the financing of education now. The on-line Times Ed said yesterday that the government is owed £6 billion by training providers who have been overpaid and then gone bust.

Well, they haven't been going long so teething problems are to be expected. I wouldn't want to reach an opinion until they have been running for 5 years.

I do think we need more variety in the education system. The present 1,000 pupils plus sized warehouse schools do not suit every child.

Mamie Yes, it's shocking isn't it.

I see that one has been put into special measures by Ofsted already. Several are "in need of improvement" and not a single one has been rated outstanding. So costly, ineffective and set up at great expense where there are surplus places; meanwhile there is a school places crisis elsewhere in the country.