Free schools update
Updated information on the free school groups that applied in the first round.
Of the 323 proposals received, 41 were approved to move to business case and plan stage or beyond, although one proposal was subsequently withdrawn by the proposer.
30 of the remaining 40 proposals, including a number that aim to open in September 2012 or beyond, have now been approved to move to the pre-opening stage.
The groups behind eight of these proposals have entered into a funding agreement with the Secretary of State. Further applications which have moved to pre-opening stage or have signed a funding agreement will be listed in due course.
Eight proposals that were in business case and plan stage, for schools opening in September 2012 or beyond, have been invited to apply through the new application process which opened on 16 May 2011. We will assess their applications alongside the new applications we receive. The results for all applications submitted or re-submitted in this period will be announced in September.
Further information
There is more information about Free Schools, including how to apply and interviews with proposers, in the Free Schools section of the Department’s website.
DfE enquiries
Central newsdesk - for journalists 020 7783 8300
General enquiries - for members of the public 0370 000 2288