Gove revealed education aim at Tory conference

The government wants at least 50 free schools to open in London by 2015, education secretary Michael Gove revealed in the latest sign of his department’s drive to increase the programme.

The statement comes a month after eight free schools opened in London, with 24 open nationally.

Free schools are mainly procured through the academies framework for contractors, run by Partnerships for Schools. It is understood this will continue for the next wave of free schools, with only a minority of work going to firms outside the deal.

In his address to the conference, Gove said that more than 1,300 academies were open in England, but did not reveal further targets for academies or specify funding.