Success of free schools ''will vary'' between establishments

The success of the free schools programme is likely to vary quite considerably, one expert believes.

Teaching contractors are likely to see the success of the government's free school scheme varying quite considerably between different establishments, one expert has predicted.

Neil Mayers, educational consultant and founder of giftedatprimary.com and dropsquad.org, explained that there will be both good and bad schools.

"There are going to be people who have done their best but make a mess of it, and there are going to be people who have got more experienced individuals when they set up their free schools," he continued.

Mr Myers believes that many of the successful schools will be keeping their operations in-line with what mainstream alternatives are already doing.

However, some establishments are likely to be hampered by a lack of money, the expert added.

Last month, the government announced that 24 free schools would be opening at the start of the new school year as part of its drive to raise educational standards across the country.