Can proprietors also be staff at Free Schools?

19 Nov 2010

 Now that we have 25 schools progressing towards 'free school' status (see the DfE list below), it is becoming clear that several of these are being set up by teachers.

In some cases, they may intend only to be the sponsors/proprietors, but what happens if those teachers intend to be employed at the new school, either as teaching staff or in a management role, such as head teacher? Or indeed in any other role, such as business manager?

 Is this allowed? Will leadership posts have to be nationally advertised as with all other schools? And can the proposers both sit on the interview panel and be candidates for jobs?

  So far I have not been able to find any answers to these questions on the websites of either the New Schools Network or the  Department for Education.

 However I have heard suggestions that some of those sponsors who are indeed hoping to be employed at their new 'free schools' have been assured that something will be sorted out.

Surely it cannot be right for the normal appointment procedures - and open competition processes - to be set aside for 'free schools'?

If it is, then would that also apply to Academies?

Yet these schools are funded by the taxpayer and - in this commendable new era of accountability and transparency of spending - surely individuals cannot be both proprietors and employees?

I'd be very interested to hear any answers to these questions or any other views or experiences?

 'Free Schools' Approved to business case on 6 September 2010:

• ARK Atwood Primary Academy, Westminster (formerly referred to as North Westminster Free School (ARK))
• ARK Conway Primary Academy, Hammersmith and Fulham (formerly referred to as Wormholt North Hammersmith Free School (ARK))
• Bedford and Kempston Free School, Bedford Borough
• The Childcare Company, Slough
• Discovery New School, West Sussex
• The Free School Norwich, Norfolk
• Haringey Jewish Primary School, Haringey
• I-Foundation Primary School, Leicester City
• King’s Science Academy, Bradford
• Mill Hill Jewish Primary School, Barnet
• Nishkam Education Trust, Birmingham
• Priors Marston and Priors Hardwick School, Warwickshire
• Rivendale Free School, Hammersmith and Fulham
• St Luke’s Church of England Primary School, Camden
• Stour Valley Community School, Suffolk
• The West London Free School, West London

Further approvals as of 5 November 2010

• Batley Grammar School, Kirklees
• Birkenshaw, Birstall and Gomersal, Kirklees (formerly referred to as the BBG Parents’ Alliance)
• Bolingbroke Academy (ARK), Wandsworth (formerly referred to as the Neighbourhood Schools Campaign)
• Cuckoo Hall Academy Free School, Enfield
• Parents’ Voice, Bristol 
• Rainbow Primary School, Bradford
• Reading First Junior Free School (CfBT with Friends of All Saints), Reading
• Sandbach School, Cheshire East
• Stoke-by-Nayland High School, Suffolk

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