THE man in charge of Southampton’s education system wants parents to set up free schools to help solve the crisis over a lack of places for children.

Councillor Jeremy Moulton believes independent state-funded schools could be established in the city to provide alternatives for parents, and alleviate pressure on the existing system.

As revealed in the Daily Echo, 75 city children are still without a place at school almost a month into the start of the academic year because of unprecedented demand.

Anxious parents say they are worried the delays are damaging their youngsters’ education, but have been told it could be another month before places are found for them.

Southampton City Council is already working to add spots for an extra 3,000 children at schools across the city, but Cllr Moulton, who holds the children’s services portfolio, admitted he believes even more will have to be done to cope with booming birth rates and people coming to the city.

And as well as creating extra capacity at state schools, he wants parents to take advantage of the Government’s move to allow them to set up their own schools.

He said: “When we look at primary schools again I want to involve parental choice and see whether free schools can step in and take some of that on. They wouldn’t be a threat to existing schools because I think they would only be tiny, say 25 pupils, but given that we’ve got a growing school population I think that offers opportunities.”

Cllr Moulton said there are several different groups who could be interested in free schools.

He said: “We’ve currently got around 80 children in the city who are educated at home. They’re in a network and often the parents know each other, so I wonder why don’t they set up a free school? They get no funding for that, so if you think you do a good job at home with nothing, think what you could do with £4,500 per child.

“Even if it’s only ten families, why don’t they club together? If all 80 kids were there, that’s three or four hundred thousand pounds.

“The other community I think would be most interested would be the Muslim community.Quite a lot send their children out of the city to board at schools elsewhere, and they often struggle to pay the fees.

“I think that might be a challenge as people would have views on that, but I support faith schools and you can’t support one faith and not the other, and I think most people would agree that there would be no desire for an insular school.”

What are free schools?

FREE schools are non-profit-making, independent, state-funded schools.

Championed by Tory Education Secretary Michael Gove, they are based on a model from Sweden and can be primary or secondary level, located in school buildings or places like office buildings or church halls.

Charities, universities, businesses, educational experts or parents can set up a free school, but admissions must be fair and transparent and they must follow the national curriculum, although they can offer additional specialisms.

Like academies, free schools get funding straight from the Government, and are subject to the same Ofsted inspections.

The first 24 free schools opened their doors around the country last month.

Only one has so far been planned in Hampshire. The Whiteley Academy Group had hoped to submit an application earlier this year, but has put its plans on hold for 12 months to carry out fuller consultations with residents and businesses.