Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of various political issues, the Coalition, and the performance of key party figures. Some 550 party members responded, and we’re currently publishing the full results. 42% of Lib Dem members reject ‘free schools’ LDV asked: “Free Schools” are new state

Lib Dem MPs need to take a vital role restraining the exuberance of the Coalition’s secretary of state for education. His enthusiastic promotion of academy status for top ranking schools (as opposed to the previous government giving this to struggling schools) and his determination to get parents and others to set up state-funded free schools

Received this evening, an open letter on Camden's flawed schools policy from school governor Dorthea Hackman to Conservative Schools Chief (in a Tory/Lib Dem administration) Andrew Mennear:Dear Andrew,You must have been as delighted as everyone else to hear last week at the Public Meeting on Thursday convened by Frank Dobson MP that Camden Council after allowns a site south of the Euston Road suit...

Money currently spent inspecting schools and testing students would reward those schools teaching most disadvantaged, David Laws to tell Lib Dem conference

Tory plans to allow parents, charities and private companies to establish schools within the state sector have been called into question by senior Conservative council figures.

Conservative plans to allow schools to break free of local council control have been publicly endorsed by some of the leading state head teachers in England.

From the FT There is a book called the Good Schools Guide which is used by the 7% of the population who send their children to fee-paying schools, which analyses all the fee-paying schools in Britain. Most of these schools are so eager to be included in the book, that they pay a fee to be listed. However, the guide is now featuring state schools - and the state schools of course don't pay to ...

Ed Balls, Labour's Schools Secretary responding to comments from the Conservative leader of Kent County Council and Conservative Cabinet Member for schools in Hampshire said: "These leading Conservative councillors with real experience of education have let the cat out of the bag and confirmed what we and educational experts have been saying all along. "The only way David Cameron and Michael ...

Hundreds of the best state schools will be allowed to break free of local council control within months under Conservative plans being outlined today.

Matt Willey, Shadow Schools Minister Michael Gove's opponent, has criticised his policy of setting up "free schools" alongside state schools in Surrey. "We have an example in Camberley of what happens when private organisations are not able to achieve satisfactory standards in the schools they take over," says Mr Willey. "Management of France Hill was given to 3 Es CTC in order to improve the...