This will consider whether the school projects meet a local demand for places and are of value to the taxpayer.
She is concerned that under the Conservative government “substantial funds were allocated to the free schools programme, often resulting in surpluses in school capacity”.
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She cites National Audit Office research, which found that of the 113,500 new free school places due by 2021, half amounted to spare capacity in their local areas.
“Not only is this poor value for money, the oversupply of places can be detrimental to the other, more established schools in that area - who might lose pupils, as well as teachers, to their new competitor,” said Phillipson in announcing the review this week.
She says that some of the Conservative government’s investment in free schools “could have been put to better use improving the deteriorating condition of our existing schools and colleges".
“We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge that we have inherited and this will not be a quick fix,” said Phillipson.
“I have therefore asked officials to review the mainstream free schools planned by the last government, that have not yet opened.
“We will look at whether they will meet a need for places in their local area and offer value for taxpayers’ money. We will also take into account whether projects would provide a distinctive curriculum and any impact on existing local providers.”
Department of Education officials will now work with councils and academy trusts to “take this work forward over the autumn”, she said.
The review encompasses 44 free school projects and will consider “whether the school should open”.
NASUWT general secretary Patrick Roach said the teaching union welcomes Phillipson’s decision to review the free school projects.
“It has become increasingly clear that planning of school places must be led by the evidence on changing pupil numbers and needs,” he said.
“It is right for the government to review plans for new free schools to make the best use of the resources available.”
Earlier this year research found that free schools have had a range of negative effects on their nearby state schools, which were forced to spend more money on marketing themselves amid heightened competition.
Researchers “found little evidence that free schools prioritised areas with low academic attainment or high deprivation” and had called for the programme to be paused and reviewed.
