Our findings show that the introduction of free schools has often created new competition, but this competition has related particularly to recruitment from a finite pool of students as well as to students’ socio-economic status, rather than directly to teaching quality and classroom practices. When subjected to these new market pressures, neighbouring schools rarely prioritised change or innovation in classroom practices.

Free schools were intended to be beacons of good practice, encouraging neighbouring schools to perform better. Our findings provide some support to policy claims that free schools force existing schools to take new actions, but we also found clear disruptions to this. Free school competition spurred neighbours to place more emphasis on improving their appeal and, to a lesser extent, external quality metrics, but typically without a related focus on classroom practices.

Our findings also evidence selective competition where schools have faced stronger incentives to compete over the socio-economic characteristics of students. Not all free schools create such choice and competition, but where they do, this has the potential to increase social divisions in the school system, including the social segregation of students.

"We are all musical"
"We are all musical"

"We are all musical"

There is no form of culture or society without music – it's something that's part of us all. We take a look at the power of music, and how it intersects with technology, health and wellbeing.

10 Mar 2025

"If we don't create opportunities for talk, we build in disadvantage"
"If we don't create opportunities for talk, we build in disadvantage"

"If we don't create opportunities for talk, we build in disadvantage"

Julie Dockrell talks to us about how oral language is the foundation for all other learning and what the implications of this are for teachers.

14 Feb 2025

New Royal Foundation Framework prioritises social and emotional development in early childhood
New Royal Foundation Framework prioritises social and emotional development in early childhood

New Royal Foundation Framework prioritises social and emotional development in early childhood

Expertise by Professor Lynn Ang has contributed to the research behind the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood ‘Shaping Us’, a campaign led by HRH The Princess of Wales.

03 Feb 2025