MPs on the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts warns that despite this, many free schools are in inadequate premises without on-site facilities for sports or playgrounds.
A report published by the committee last week criticises the Department for Education (DfE) for deeming it “acceptable to appropriate community facilities and parks for routine school use”.
The DfE is aiming to open 500 more free schools by 2020, which would bring the total number open to 883.
However, MPs report that, on average, the DfE has paid nearly 20 per cent more for land for free schools than official valuations.
The report reveals that ministers spent £863 million on 175 free school sites between 2011 and 2016 at an average cost of £4.9 million.
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