Toby Young resigns from New Schools Network

The Trustees of New Schools Network have announced that Toby Young has resigned.

According to the New Schools Network website, “Toby has concluded that the media attention his continuing presence at the helm of NSN is attracting has become a distraction from the vital work it is doing and, for that reason, he has decided to step down”.

The Trustees will be announcing the appointment of an interim director in due course.

Toby Young said: “NSN is a wonderful charity and it has been a great honour to serve as its Director. Free schools are more likely to be rated Outstanding by Ofsted than all other types of schools, are more popular with parents and are getting better results.

“That extraordinary success story is due to the hard work and commitment of the groups who have set up those schools, as well as their governors, staff and students. But NSN’s staff also deserve some of the credit.

"NSN has worked with two-thirds of the 691 free schools that have opened or been approved to open so far and the charity will, I am sure, remain at the heart of what is proving to be the most successful education policy of the post-war period.”