Do free schools increase opportunities and reduce disparities in economic and social outcomes?
10 July 2025
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 research, conducted by NFER in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University, and funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) evaluates the impact of secondary free schools on pupil outcomes, including for those living in the most deprived areas.
It provides the most rigorous assessment to date of the impact which secondary free schools have had since their introduction in 2010 building on previous literature by improving on the methods used, and extending the outcomes and timeframes considered.
Key Findings
- Enrolling in a secondary free school is estimated to have had a significant positive effect on Key Stage 4 (KS4) attainment.
- There is evidence that enrolling in a free school had a significant impact on lowering pupil absence, especially in KS4.
- Secondary free schools appear to have had a positive impact on A-level participation.
- Findings also suggest free schools may have supported university participation, albeit evidence is less strong than other outcome measures.
- Secondary analysis using a different methodology considered the impact of free schools on all pupils living in a secondary free school catchment area (attending both free schools and non-free schools). The findings from this approach were not conclusive.