Tory governments spent £325m on free schools that failed or disappeared

Data obtained through a freedom of information request reveals that Conservative governments spent £325 million on 67 free schools in England that subsequently failed or closed since 2010. The Department for Education figures show that the government prioritized building new schools over rebuilding existing ones between 2014 and 2024. Launched in 2010, the free schools program allowed groups to bid for funding for new schools. While some free schools succeeded, many others, like the Waterside primary academy in Nottingham, were unsuccessful due to lack of demand. The National Audit Office had previously warned that many new free school places would be surplus to local needs.

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