Why we are setting up a free school

This week Michael Gove announced that he was going to open up academy status to every school in England that wants it, with the freedoms and responsibilities that go with the greater independence. This is potentially a paradigm-shifting move that, alongside "free schools", curriculum changes and teacher-training reforms, could transform the educational ecosystem. I'm particularly interested in the announcement because I'm part of a teacher-led group in Bedford that was in the first wave of free schools announced, back in September. We are aiming to set up a new, small secondary school next year. Some people have asked why we felt that a new school was necessary – can't improvements be brought about within the system as it stands? And if all schools can have academy freedoms, are new free schools now so important? The team I'm heading consists of educationists from a variety of backgrounds, with a range of different philosophies and beliefs. What we have in common is a sense that the existing system is failing too many children, and that if it isn't working after 60 years, it is unlikely to start doing so now. A fresh approach really is needed. Only 70% of students who live in the area where we will set up – Kempston – attend the local upper school, and of those who do, this summer only 31% managed to get five good GCSEs including English and maths. Other schools in our town are doing better – although in Bedford itself, only 42% of 16-year-olds this summer achieved the same measure. We're not blaming teachers in these schools – they are our friends and colleagues. Most of them are working their socks off to do the best for children, but in maintained schools their hands are tied in a variety of ways. It is for this reason that we felt that a free school was the best way to address the educational and social inequalities that persist in too many parts of our country. We were attracted to starting a free school because we felt that the constraints and freedoms the policy placed on such institutions were about right. Like all state schools, we'll have to abide by the school admissions code , ensure we are following statutory special educational needs guidance, and take part in a fair access and admissions process. In other words, we will be a fully inclusive and comprehensive school – which is what we want to be. Where we will be different, and where we believe the policy offers something exciting for the children of our town, is the way we can make use of extra freedoms to give the students the best start in life. The money that is currently kept back by the local authority to spend on central services will come to us, and we will have the choice of how we can best spend it on supporting our students. No more "this is what you get for your 10% top slice, take it or leave it". Many other local schools are keen to become academies too, which suggests they also feel they can make this money go further and support students better if they have it direct. By the time they've done their GCSEs, UK students have had 14,000 hours of lessons and other activities in school, yet only half get five good GCSEs including maths and English. There has to be a better way of using this time. So we will restructure the curriculum where needed to get every student up to speed in maths and English before they start their GCSEs – so they have genuine choices, rather than being forced down routes because they haven't grasped the basics after a decade of schooling. We will also recognise the "extra" things that outstanding teachers already do as part of their day-to-day work – running clubs, doing duties, bringing in others to enrich school life – and ensure they are rewarded and given time for these. Next steps include settling upon a site – and I'll be returning to this and other issues in future pieces. These and other freedoms don't come without strings attached, though. And this is the final, most important attraction of free schools for us – the added accountability we will have to the community we serve. The fabled "democratic accountability" of maintained schools simply isn't working. If it were, most of our schools would be performing better than they are, rather than slipping down international league tables. We will be directly accountable to the people who really count – the parents and the community within which we will be based. If we're not performing, rather than waiting for Ofsted to come in every so often, parents will be able to go straight to the trustees of the school and get action taken. That sort of accountability certainly focuses the mind – and we'll all be the better for it. Free schools are not the answer to all our system's woes. But we do believe that, in conjunction with other reforms, they could be a significant step in the right direction, and that many local people and parents are willing to go on the journey with us.