Free schools programme 'must change to survive'

TES | August 13, 2019

The free schools programme could “grind to a halt” if the government does not change rules that restrict them to areas with a shortage of places, a prominent Conservative MP has said. The warning follows reports that free schools are among the “three Fs” priorities of new education secretary Gavin Williamson, along with funding and further education. When free schools were first introduced by Michael Gove in 2010, a key goal was to increase competition in the system, with parents encouraged to set up innovative new schools that would create surplus places and give parents more choice. However, the Department for Education has since tightened the criteria so that new free schools can only be opened in areas with poor results and a shortage of school places. Now, this has been criticised in a Centre for Policy Studies report by Suella Braverman MP, a former Commons Education Select Committee member who helped found the Michaela free school in Wembley. A press release accompanying the report says that restricting new free schools to areas with a shortage of places “means that it will soon become impossible to open further free schools given falling pupil numbers entering the system”.

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Spotlight

Instancy is at the forefront of revolutionizing the eLearning landscape by harnessing the power of Generative AI. Our comprehensive solutions are designed to cater to diverse learning needs, transcending traditional barriers and empowering knowledge workers, trainers, and management alike. For Knowledge Workers, we provide instant access to performance-enhancing information right within their daily workflow. Our system ensures timely and efficient delivery of knowledge, enabling users to perform optimally, right at the moment. For Trainers, our no-code Generative AI-powered tools facilitate rapid and intelligent content creation. This reduces content development costs by over 50% and speeds up the content time by 70%. Our platform's unique blend of smart technology with human creativity offers trainers an unmatched experience in developing blended learning content.

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PR Newswire | August 28, 2023

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