Free schools are state-funded but independently run schools in England, introduced under the Academies Act 2010 by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government, drawing on ideas from Sweden's free school system and US charter schools. They can be established by groups including parents, teachers, charities, businesses or religious organizations, and while funded by central government rather than local authorities, they have greater freedom over curriculum, teacher pay and the school calendar than a typical local-authority-maintained school.
Facts
Policy Status
Policy Status (category) Classification
Policy TypeGovernance or Accountability Policy 1 Enacted / Adopted Year FAQs
Who can set up a free school in England and how do free schools differ from council-run schools?
They are government-funded but not run by the local authority.
According to the UK government, free schools are funded by the government but are not run by the local authority, and they have more control over how they do things. They are run on a not-for-profit basis and can be set up by groups such as charities, universities, independent schools, community and faith groups, teachers, parents and businesses.
Sources
1. Free school (England) (Wikipedia)
- Wikipedia 'Free school (England)': a type of academy established since 2010 under the Cameron-Clegg government free school policy initiative. (w-bbfill-education6-0927)
Lead section
A free school in England is a type of academy established since 2010 under the Cameron-Clegg government's free school policy initiative.
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.