Tory denies being at odds with his party over 'parent schools' plans

A senior Tory councillor insists he is "100 per cent behind" the party's education plans after Labour seized on an earlier attack on proposals for "free schools" set up by parents.

Kent County Council leader Paul Carter initially appeared to criticise the scheme but later denied he was at odds with the party leadership after Schools Secretary Ed Balls claimed he had "let the cat out of the bag".

Mr Carter said: "At the moment the more academies and free schools you operate, under the current academy funding arrangements, the less maintained schools would get.

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"Secondary schools are around 4,000-plus per pupil. If 10 per cent, 12 per cent, 15 per cent of that would be taken away from maintained schools and given to free schools and academies – local authorities still have statutory functions to perform.

"They have to arrange and organise school admissions, statements for special educational needs pupils – a whole range of services that need paying for.

"That can't be taken away from us and given to free schools or academies because they don't have the statutory duty to carry out these responsibilities."

Another Tory councillor, David Kirk, cabinet member for schools in Hampshire, also raised concerns, saying the way to turn around failing schools was sensible intervention by local authorities.

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"There still needs to be an opportunity for local authorities under any scheme of management to be able to intervene effectively in school standards because I do think a good local education authority has a major role to play in the raising of standards in its area."

Mr Balls said the leading Conservative councillors with real experience of education had let the cat out of the bag.

"The only way David Cameron and (shadow schools secretary) Michael Gove's 'free market' schools plans can work is, as the councillors say, by making deep and immediate cuts to schools that children are already attending."

But Mr Gove said: "I talked to Paul this morning. Paul is 100 per cent supportive of our proposals. He would like to see free schools established. The point he makes is we do need to make sure we have fair funding."