Parts of central London are at risk of becoming “impossible” for free schools to open in because it is so hard to find buildings for them, say experts.
Their warning comes as the head-teacher of the latest free school to find a permanent building told today how his group’s members had to walk the streets looking for boarded-up properties as possible locations.
Boris Johnson today helped to unveil the plans for Reach Academy Feltham’s permanent new building, which it will move into after two years in temporary accommodation.
The Mayor said: “My education inquiry identified an urgent need for more buildings to be made available for groups wanting to set up free schools and we will do all we can to help identify suitable sites.”
Munira Mirza, deputy mayor for education and culture, said: “We want to ensure that it is not impossible to set up a free school in the areas that really need good provision. There is a real challenge in some parts of London to set up a free school.
“There is a shortage of buildings and we must be clever about how we help free school groups. Buildings are available but we need to know how best to get information about them.”
Reach Academy’s principal Ed Vainker said finding his building was the main challenge — and admitted choosing to open in Feltham partly because it was easier to find property there than in central London.
His school took its first pupils in September and will move into the former office block next year.
“Money is tight and buying property in central London is not a small undertaking,” he said.
