Staff in teaching jobs in London will soon discover if the growing scepticism of the free school model will affect the launch of new academies in the capital's East End.

The new London Enterprise Academy is opening at the start of the next academic year, taking in 600 secondary pupils. The project will have an educational focus on entrepreneurship and mentoring. It has received backing from nearly 60 east London businesses, from accountancy firms to ice cream parlours, and principal designate Ashid Ali believes the free school is in a "strong position", starting with a "blank canvass".

Free schools allow parents, teachers, charities, businesses, universities, trusts or religious groups the opportunity to use greater autonomy to address specific needs in education, but critics claim they are draining cash from the state school system, while eroding teaching standards by letting non-qualified staff take charge of lessons.

In this case, Oliur Rahman, Tower Hamlets council cabinet member for children's services, said: "The government should address the demand for more places by investing in our local state education, which is already highly praised."

He told the East London Advertiser: "Unfortunately, Gove is approving every free school left, right and centre - without respect to the community."

The new schools will need to perform well as existing schools in the London borough, which are setting a high standard. A 2012-13 Ofsted report found 100 per cent of Tower Hamlets pupils are taught in schools ranked as 'good' or 'outstanding' at secondary level, while 87 per cent of primaries hit these top two categories - a feat achieved by the hard work of teachers over a long period of time.

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