Free schools have been a fundamentally and intentionally divisive policy. But now we have proof that was run against clear legal principles. Shouldn’t the free school policy be in court?
By sjiong – http://www.flickr.com/photos/sjiong/109817932/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6380215
When I chose to get involved with this policy, if subversively, by proposing an innovative new school in Oxford City, I knew what I was getting involved with. We knew the odds were not good. However, the inimitable Laura McInerney has found damning evidence that not only was the game rigged, but corrupt. No surprise, say the cynics.
While I don’t expect any sympathy, I do expect someone to take this to court – not to sue the public purse – but to invite judicial review on the whole way this policy has been run.
The personal cost of being involved in a free school: in terms of mental health, financial security and professional resources; was huge. And no, we had no privileged background to draw on, and it hurt.
But, we sucked it up and faced the possibility that perhaps our application was just not good enough. But now we can see that the worse applications than ours were approved. And I’m pissed off – and ready to fight.
Laura’s story shows that the DfE are (unsurprisingly) a tough opponent – but not impossible to defeat. So… if anyone is up for it… I’m game.
I offer all the documents and communications we received to anyone who will challenge the DfE in the way it managed the application process for Free Schools. Get in touch.