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Free schools aren't empty, it's just bad press Free schools aren't empty, it's just bad press
(5 months later)
The Independent's splash on Friday, the scandal of the empty free schools, left me a little confused. The headline in the paper version claimed that 70% of free schools are "empty". But even the most avid opponent of Michael Gove's education reforms must have realised that couldn't possibly be true.The Independent's splash on Friday, the scandal of the empty free schools, left me a little confused. The headline in the paper version claimed that 70% of free schools are "empty". But even the most avid opponent of Michael Gove's education reforms must have realised that couldn't possibly be true.
It turned out that the paper was using the word "empty" as a synonym for "not fully subscribed", a rather less sensational claim. Indeed, 80% of all state schools in England aren't fully subscribed, so according to the same logic, four out of five schools in England are "empty" too.Even allowing for the hyperbole, the article was odd. The story was supposedly based on new research published by the Labour Party, but in fact it was based on a National Audit Office report on free schools published last December. If you read the executive summary of that report, it was generally favourable. And in almost every particular, the Independent's version of that report – or rather, the Independent's unquestioning regurgitation of the Labour Party's version – was wrong.The report actually says: "Overall, free schools have opened with three-quarters of planned admissions in their first year." So even if you accept the Independent's bizarre definition of the word "empty", that's only true of 25% of free schools in their first year – this does not account for any growth they may have experienced since. It turned out that the paper was using the word "empty" as a synonym for "not fully subscribed", a rather less sensational claim. Indeed, 80% of all state schools in England aren't fully subscribed, so according to the same logic, four out of five schools in England are "empty" too. Even allowing for the hyperbole, the article was odd. The story was supposedly based on new research published by the Labour Party, but in fact it was based on a National Audit Office report on free schools published last December. If you read the executive summary of that report, it was generally favourable. And in almost every particular, the Independent's version of that report – or rather, the Independent's unquestioning regurgitation of the Labour Party's version – was wrong. The report actually says: "Overall, free schools have opened with three-quarters of planned admissions in their first year." So even if you accept the Independent's bizarre definition of the word "empty", that's only true of 25% of free schools in their first year – this does not account for any growth they may have experienced since.
Since opening, these schools have become very popular. For instance, some free schools that opened in 2011 or 2012 are now over-subscribed by a factor of 3:1. The school I co-founded – the West London Free School – receives roughly 10 applicants for every place and has done since it opened three years ago.Another "fact" revealed by the Labour Party's analysis is that "two-thirds of free school places were not in an area in most need of primary school places". In fact, the report says: "Around 70% of estimated primary and secondary places from open or approved free schools are in districts forecasting some need for places."The paper then goes on to quote Kevin Brennan – Tristram Hunt's number two and, presumably, the author of the Labour Party's new research – blaming "the crisis in primary school places" on the fact that the government has chosen "to open free schools in areas where there are already enough places".As "factual" claims go, that one really takes the biscuit. 174 free schools have been set up so far, of which about 50 are in areas where there's no need for more places. If the money spent on setting up those 50 schools had been spent on new primaries instead, you'd barely make a dent in the shortage of places. And that shortage is almost entirely due to the fact that the last government cut 200,000 primary school places.As the general election approaches, it would be good to have a proper, grown up debate about Michael Gove's education policies. (If you're interested in the case for free schools, see this piece I wrote for Standpoint.) Unfortunately, so much misinformation is put out by the teaching unions and their allies in the Labour Party, that's going to be virtually impossible.As recently as 10 years ago, we could have relied on education correspondents – particularly those of broadsheet newspapers – to scrutinise this propaganda and do some rudimentary reporting. Not any more. These days, they've become useful idiots, low-level combatants in an ideological war. Since opening, these schools have become very popular. For instance, some free schools that opened in 2011 or 2012 are now over-subscribed by a factor of 3:1. The school I co-founded – the West London Free School – receives roughly 10 applicants for every place and has done since it opened three years ago. Another "fact" revealed by the Labour Party's analysis is that "two-thirds of free school places were not in an area in most need of primary school places". In fact, the report says: "Around 70% of estimated primary and secondary places from open or approved free schools are in districts forecasting some need for places." The paper then goes on to quote Kevin Brennan – Tristram Hunt's number two and, presumably, the author of the Labour Party's new research – blaming "the crisis in primary school places" on the fact that the government has chosen "to open free schools in areas where there are already enough places". As "factual" claims go, that one really takes the biscuit. 174 free schools have been set up so far, of which about 50 are in areas where there's no need for more places. If the money spent on setting up those 50 schools had been spent on new primaries instead, you'd barely make a dent in the shortage of places. And that shortage is almost entirely due to the fact that the last government cut 200,000 primary school places. As the general election approaches, it would be good to have a proper, grown up debate about Michael Gove's education policies. (If you're interested in the case for free schools, see this piece I wrote for Standpoint.) Unfortunately, so much misinformation is put out by the teaching unions and their allies in the Labour Party, that's going to be virtually impossible. As recently as 10 years ago, we could have relied on education correspondents – particularly those of broadsheet newspapers – to scrutinise this propaganda and do some rudimentary reporting. Not any more. These days, they've become useful idiots, low-level combatants in an ideological war.
Toby Young is a co-founder of the West London Free School.Toby Young is a co-founder of the West London Free School.
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