Government sets up new company to create more free schools

The new public property company, LocatED, has been established to acquire land and buildings across the country to help the Government achieve its target of building 500 new free schools by 2020, and create 600,000 new school places by 2021.

It will also secure sites to help deliver an extra 110 free schools announced in the Spring Budget.

According to the Department for Education, LocatED will act on behalf of the Government to secure the ‘right sites’ at the ‘right price’.

Schools systems minister Lord Nash said, ‘Part of the Government’s plan for Britain is building a fairer society, with a good school place for every child. Free schools are playing a vital role in creating those school places. They are popular with parents, ensuring thousands more families have the choice of a good local school.

‘We need to secure hundreds of new free schools in order to keep pace in creating 600,000 new school places by 2021. LocatED has the skills and expertise to find and secure land and buildings to ensure our free schools ambition becomes a reality.

‘With 29 per cent of free schools inspected rated outstanding by Ofsted - LocatED will play a vital role in helping us create thousands more good and outstanding school places for future generations of children.’

Chief executive of LocatEd, Lara Newman, said, ‘We understand the scale of the challenge and the property landscape. LocatED has the expertise and will operate at pace to negotiate with multiple partners across the private and public sector. We work directly with landowners, agents and developers to secure sites for new free schools, whilst ensuring the best value for the taxpayer.’