The Gateway Academy, a secondary school in Thurrock, is planning to open a freeschool alongside for primary school children. The Head wants to help "break through the skills barrier." Half of Thurrock residents have no formal skills – compared with a quarter nationally.
In Hemel Hempstead a Christian charity called Worldshapers is proposing to open a free school. A numbber of redundant school buildings are being looked at. They have already got a proven record of success in running a school for excluded children.
In Witney a group of home schooling parents plan a Free School for 60 pupils which would employ teachers but retain strong parental involvement and not operate the National Curriculum. While in Oxford, the Oxford Montessori Schools want to convert their school on a farm to Free School status.
In Hull what is interesting is that even the prospect of a free school opening is toughening the Council's stance on closing a failing school. The Endeavour High School has poor Ofsted report and only 37 parents placing it as their first choice for September. The Council point out that this is even before the competition starts from the McAuley College Academy – a proposed free school with a policy of "no excuses" and specialist music provision.
Hull is a Lib Dem council. Labour councillors are fighting to save the failiing the school.