DfE nominates experts to advise on ‘best value’ free school sites

The Department for Education (DfE) has appointed four specialists to advise and act on finding ‘best value’ sites to locate future free schools, in a fast and efficient manner.

The news arrives as the government plans to open 500 more free schools before 2020.

Janet Downs, co-founder of campaign group the Local Schools Network, told Schools Week: “The education select committee has previously said the DfE needs to be far more open about the implementation of the academies programme.

“Free schools are academies, but the government seems to be ignoring the committee’s concerns when it comes to these ‘experienced property specialists’. Taxpayers have a right to know who these people are, how they will operate and how much they will be paid.”

The four members of the group are: Elaine Hewitt, chief executive of NHS Property Services; Michael Strong, former executive chairman of CBRE Europe, Middle East and Africa; Philip Bell-Brown, group property director at Dixons Carphone; and Ric Lewis, a governor at King Solomon Academy in London and chief executive of Tristan Capital Partners, an independent London-based real estate investment management boutique.

In a press release, the DfE said: “Finding sites quickly is often the biggest obstacle to opening new schools, so we need to ensure we have the right people working for us to secure best value for the taxpayer.”