Results boom for first pupils at free schools

A FLAGSHIP free school has seen its first GCSE cohort pick up some of the best results in the country, in a victory for former education secretary Michael Gove.

The West London Free School, in Hammersmith, saw 37 per cent of its pupil entries gain A* and A grades – almost double the national average of 20.5 per cent.

Some 82 per cent of its entries were A* to C – compared with 66.9 per cent nationally. And 76 per cent got at least five A* to C grades, including English and maths – while historically about 60 per cent across the UK achieve this.

Toby Young, co-founder of the school, said it ‘isn’t just one of the best state schools in the country, it’s also better than three-quarters of the UK’s independent schools based on last year’s results.’

The non-selective school was the first free school to be approved and was opened by former London mayor Boris Johnson in 2011.

Mr Gove campaigned for free schools – a type of academy set up by local groups, parents, teachers or charities – to give communities greater control of local schools.

At Dixons Kings, a free school in Yorkshire, 67 per cent achieved five A* to C grades – 10 per cent above the national figure for 2015.