Skip to main content
Guidance

Free schools: admission and referral policies

Guidance and templates to help free schools write their admission and referral policies.

Updates to this page

From:
Department for Education
Published:
27 May 2013
Last updated:
22 February 2023
Show all updates

  1. 'Mainstream academies and free schools: template' has been added.

  2. Replaced 'Special free school admissions statement of provision: template'. Updated version clarifies that local authorities can place children at a special school to assess if they need an education health and care plan.

  3. Updated the ‘Mainstream free schools admissions template’. Added drop-down menus that give schools the full list of admissions criteria they can lawfully use.

  4. Added special free school admissions guidance and free schools admission and referral templates.

  5. Documents updated to rectify a minor omission in waiting list arrangements and to correct an error in an admission number in the models.

  6. Changed guidance, template, common issues and models documents to reflect the new admissions code and clarify guidance for free schools.

  7. All 4 downloads replaced.

  8. Updated free school admissions 'models' and 'common issues' documents. They reflect changes to advice on deferred entry to reception

  9. Added a free school admissions template, plus documents on common issues, guidance and models.

  10. First published.

Applies to England

Documents

Free school admissions: guidance

Ref: DFE-00408-2014

PDF, 242 KB, 13 pages

Special free school admissions: guidance

Ref: DFE-00073-2016

PDF, 110 KB, 2 pages

Mainstream academies and free schools: template

MS Word Document, 126 KB

UTC and studio school admissions: template

MS Word Document, 77.2 KB

Special free school admissions statement of provision: template

MS Word Document, 70 KB

Alternative provision free school referral policy: template

MS Word Document, 80.5 KB

16 to 19 free school admissions: template

MS Word Document, 79.9 KB

Free school admissions: models

Ref: DFE-00409-2014

PDF, 349 KB, 27 pages

Free school admissions: common issues

Ref: DFE-00407-2014

PDF, 373 KB, 28 pages

Details

These documents will help free schools draft fair and clear admission and referral policies.

The guidance documents explain how to develop admission policies for free schools and special free schools. You should read them alongside the school admissions code.

The template documents will help you draft your school’s admission and referral policies.

The models document provides examples of admission arrangements that comply with the school admissions code.

The ‘common issues’ document gives advice on problems you may have when drafting and applying your admission policies.

Special free schools are free schools for children with special educational needs or disabilities.

Alternative provision is for pupils who can’t attend mainstream school for a variety of reasons, such as school exclusion, behaviour issues, short- or long-term illness, school refusal or teenage pregnancy.

If you have problems downloading any of the documents on this page, email us:

Free schools pre-opening team

Sign up for emails or print this page

Related content