Give police and crime commissioners powers to set up free schools, says Theresa May

Elected police and crime commissioners should be given powers to set up free schools to help support troubled children, according to Home Secretary Theresa May.

The proposal from May follows from the example of Adam Simmonds, the Northamptonshire police and crime commissioner, who is set to open a free school with a ‘crime specific curriculum’ this September on the site of the county’s police headquarters at Wooton Hall.

The move will reportedly be part of a major expansion of powers to commissioners into the area of youth justice that are expected to be proposed after the next round of elections in May.

May said: “I believe the next set of PCCs should bring together the two great reforms of the last Parliament – police reform and school reform – to work with and possibly set up alternative provision free schools to support troubled children and prevent them from falling into a life of crime.”