Michael Gove's flagship free schools programme does not deliver 'parent power' as intended, MPs hear

Education Secretary Michael Gove delivers a speech on education reform at the London Academy of Excellence in East London (PA)

Education Secretary Michael Gove’s flagship free schools programme is no longer delivering “parent power”, MPs heard today.

Fewer than one in four free schools opened last September [24 out of 98] were being run by groups led by parents, the Commons Select Committee on Education was told. Backers of the new schools are in the main voluntary groups, faith groups, chains and independent schools.

Graham Stuart, the Conservative chairman of the committee, said the original scheme was about giving funding to “communities and parent power to set up their own schools".

“The truth is we’re moving away from that model,” he added.

Mela Watts, director of the free schools group at the Department for Education, said it was a reflection that parents might be considering “on their own, they haven’t got the skillset” to run their own schools.

“Parents generally haven’t got what it takes - is that what you’re saying?” Mr Stuart then asked.

Their involvement was not “as major a part” as it had been. “They seem to be dropping off,” he added.

Ms Watts added that the general trend was that the parent-led groups’ participation “is going down - that’s absolutely right”.

Earlier, civil servants indicated there was no limit or target set on the number of free schools that could be approved by the Government in any one year. An assumption had been built into planning that around 100 new schools would open a year - but ministers had indicated the final figure would be ruled by demand - although officials would consider the state of existing school provision before considering a new bid.

A spokeswoman said: “By definition, all free schools are set up with the involvement of parents, and all successful applications must show sufficient demand from parents. Only looking at free schools proposers which have self-identified as 'parent groups' does not, therefore, provide a full picture of parental involvement in the free school programme. Thanks to the free schools programme it is easier than ever before for parents to set up schools, many of them opening in little more than a year.”