Spending watchdog concerned that costs of free schools vary widely and tells government to clamp down on rising costs
Nearly one in five free schools opened under Michael Gove鈥檚 flagship programme have a total capital cost of over 拢25k per pupil, around 拢8,000 above the average cost per pupil of schools built under the 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future programme.
The National Audit Office (NAO) report on the government鈥檚 free schools programme found that the average cost per pupil for mainstream free schools opened to date was 拢13,500 - significantly below the 拢17,090 average cost per pupil of schools under 黑洞社区 Schools for the Future (BSF).
However, the report noted that the total capital cost per pupil of free schools 鈥渧aried widely鈥� and 18% of the schools examined had total capital costs of over 拢25,000 per place - well above the BSF average.
The NAO said the more expensive projects were often based in southern England and involved using temporary accommodation, purchasing a property freehold, and more extensive building works.
The NAO also said the average capital cost per place for free schools had risen by 35% over the first three years of the programme. It said this was partly due to the inclusion of special and alternative provision schools, which have a higher cost per place, but also due to the funding of more secondary schools than expected, and the rising cost of purchasing premises, particularly in southern England.
The report said the Department for Education (DfE) had paid over its valuations for 63% of freeholds it had purchased, amounting to an additional 拢27m in spending.
Overall, the NAO said it had cost the DfE on average 拢6.6m to acquire and convert premises for free schools, more than double the 拢3m it originally estimated in 2010.
The NAO urged the government to tackle the 鈥渞ising cost鈥� of free schools, and criticised the DfE for prioritising 鈥渙pening schools at pace, rather than maximising value for money鈥�. However, it did acknowledge that the construction costs within the free school programmes were around 45% less than previous school building programmes, with the DfE using 鈥渓ess extensive building specifications鈥�, as well as reduced space standards to
bring down costs.
A DfE spokesperson said the NAO report showed free schools 鈥渙ffer good value for money鈥� and that schools were being opened at a 鈥渇raction of the cost鈥� of new schools built under BSF.
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