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Do Free Schools Increase Opportunities and Reduce Disparities in Economic and Social Outcomes?

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Title: Do Free Schools Increase Opportunities and Reduce Disparities in Economic and Social Outcomes?
Language: English
Authors: Will Cook, Andrew Smith, Jenna Julius, Juan Manuel del Pozo Segura, Robert Wishart, National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) (United Kingdom), Economic and Social Research Council (United Kingdom), Manchester Metropolitan University (United Kingdom)
Source: National Foundation for Educational Research. 2025.
Availability: National Foundation for Educational Research. The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ, UK. Tel: +44-1753-574123; Fax: +44-1753-637280; e-mail: enquiries@nfer.ac.uk; Web site: http://www.nfer.ac.uk
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 30
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) (United Kingdom)
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Secondary Schools, Free Schools, College Enrollment, Educational Attainment, Attendance, Outcomes of Education, Disadvantaged, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
ISBN: 978-1-916567-35-1
Abstract: Free schools are all-ability schools established to meet a need for high-quality school places in an area. Whilst the programme evolved over time, they were first established as a means to introduce competition and innovation into the school system. This report provides the most rigorous assessment to date of the impact which secondary free schools have had since their introduction in 2010. It builds on previous literature by improving on the methods used by drawing on more robust approaches, and extending the outcomes and timeframes considered. It draws on two approaches to estimate the causal effect of secondary free schools, with the first approach establishing the effect of enrolling in a free school on pupil outcomes and the second approach considering the effect of living in a free school catchment area on pupil outcomes (regardless of whether the pupil attended a free school). The analysis uses the DfE's National Pupil Database (NPD) to identify cohorts of secondary free school pupils entering Year 7 from the 2011-12 academic year onwards. Pupil-level data are then linked to Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) data about pupils' university enrolment, and publicly available Getting Information About Schools (GIAS) data. Findings show that secondary free schools' impact has generally been positive over a wide range of pupil outcomes including Key Stage 4 (KS4) attainment, secondary school absence, Key Stage 5 (KS5) participation, and university enrolment. In addition, some evidence is found of secondary free schools supporting the outcomes of pupils in disadvantaged areas.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED676325
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
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  Data: Do Free Schools Increase Opportunities and Reduce Disparities in Economic and Social Outcomes?
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  Data: National Foundation for Educational Research. The Mere, Upton Park, Slough, Berkshire, SL1 2DQ, UK. Tel: +44-1753-574123; Fax: +44-1753-637280; e-mail: enquiries@nfer.ac.uk; Web site: http://www.nfer.ac.uk
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  Data: 978-1-916567-35-1
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Free schools are all-ability schools established to meet a need for high-quality school places in an area. Whilst the programme evolved over time, they were first established as a means to introduce competition and innovation into the school system. This report provides the most rigorous assessment to date of the impact which secondary free schools have had since their introduction in 2010. It builds on previous literature by improving on the methods used by drawing on more robust approaches, and extending the outcomes and timeframes considered. It draws on two approaches to estimate the causal effect of secondary free schools, with the first approach establishing the effect of enrolling in a free school on pupil outcomes and the second approach considering the effect of living in a free school catchment area on pupil outcomes (regardless of whether the pupil attended a free school). The analysis uses the DfE's National Pupil Database (NPD) to identify cohorts of secondary free school pupils entering Year 7 from the 2011-12 academic year onwards. Pupil-level data are then linked to Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) data about pupils' university enrolment, and publicly available Getting Information About Schools (GIAS) data. Findings show that secondary free schools' impact has generally been positive over a wide range of pupil outcomes including Key Stage 4 (KS4) attainment, secondary school absence, Key Stage 5 (KS5) participation, and university enrolment. In addition, some evidence is found of secondary free schools supporting the outcomes of pupils in disadvantaged areas.
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    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 30
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Secondary Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Free Schools
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: College Enrollment
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      – SubjectFull: Educational Attainment
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      – SubjectFull: Attendance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Outcomes of Education
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      – SubjectFull: Disadvantaged
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: United Kingdom
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      – TitleFull: Do Free Schools Increase Opportunities and Reduce Disparities in Economic and Social Outcomes?
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