More than 30 new free schools are in the pipeline for London and are set to create 14,500 new places, at a time when schools in the capital are seeing a “significant and sustained” reduction in demand for places.
London Councils on Tuesday called on the Government to review all the free schools that are in the pipeline to ensure they are in areas of need. Some new schools have been in the “pre-opening phase” since 2014, before the need for places dropped.
Ian Edwards, London Councils’ executive member for children and young people, said: “London schools are at a crossroads. Careful management of school places supply is essential to ensuring children across the capital get access to the sustainable, high-quality education they need.”
He added: “We are asking the Department for Education to work with London boroughs to ensure no new free schools are approved in areas where there is clear evidence that demand for school places is decreasing, as this could destabilise existing schools.
