Social Enterprise Schools says that the government should consider allowing private companies to set up and run schools under a “John Lewis” style social enterprise model. Teachers should be encouraged to take a stake in the school which would create strong incentives to drive up standards.

The report says that allowing private providers to take over the running of publicly run schools will create new places at a time when there is a severe shortage in many parts of the country.

Much of the opposition to private provision ignores that fact that profit making already exists in large parts of the state education system, with private firms providing significant levels of SEN, nursery and school improvement programmes for state schools.

See the report editor, James Groves, explain key concepts of the report below