EVERY child deserves to have the best education, regardless of how or where that happens.

It doesn’t matter whether your child skips off to lessons at an academy, a free school, or a local authority-run secondary school.

As long as they are happy, and are learning the vital skills and knowledge needed, then who can ask for more?

The jury is still out on the success of free schools in Oxfordshire. One Ofsted is not enough to make a sound judgement.

Free schools do however let parents and teachers take the lead in educating youngsters. This could be seen as a golden opportunity. After all, are these not the people who know best?

But we must not allow the gap between our lowest and higher achievers to grow ever wider. Wealthy parents have ample opportunity to take charge of their brood’s future, but this does not mean that children at traditional state schools should be allowed to lag behind.

Standards must be driven up across the board to ensure that all children can build on their talents and get support.

How this is done is by-the-by. It is the outcome that really matters here, not the method. Our children’s futures are at stake.