Free school applications: assessing the need for more schools
How we assess the need for a new mainstream school in a local area when we receive applications to open new free schools.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
These documents explain the criteria we use when we assess the need for a new mainstream free school in a local area for each application phase (wave).
Mainstream free schools can be:
- primary schools
- secondary schools
- all-through schools
- 16 to 19 schools
They exclude:
- alternative providers (places that provide education for children who can’t go to a mainstream school)
- special free schools (for children with special educational needs or disabilities)
Last updated 15 December 2023 + show all updates
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Added 'Mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation (wave 15 update)'. Updated the list of mainstream free schools in scope of the wave 15 note for assessment of need.
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Added 'Mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation (wave 14 update)'.
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Added 'mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation (wave 13 update)'.
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Added 'Mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation, wave 12 update'.
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First published.