The BBC reported in October that 25 per cent of the free schools opening this year are substantially undersubscribed. One example is Avanti House School in Harrow, the biggest free school in England, which has only 130 entrants for its 240 places.
Suffolk’s Beccles Free School, the subject of a local campaign of opposition, has 87 pupils for 162 places. Local head John Beccles said that another school was not needed in the town “...there are thousands of spare school places in Suffolk and no local school is full.” ■