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Free schools and UTCs: successful applications

Details of successful applications for free schools and university technical colleges (UTCs) in the pre-opening stage.

• From: Department for Education
• Published: 4 September 2018
• Last updated: 2 October 2026
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  1. 2 October 2026

     Updated the September 2026 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage'.

  2. 14 September 2026

     Updated the 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for September 2026.

  3. 14 August 2026

     Updated the 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for August 2026.

  4. 14 July 2026

     Updated the 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for July 2026.

  5. 12 June 2026

     The list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage has been updated for June 2026.

  6. 21 May 2026

     We have replaced 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: May 2026' with a corrected version. On tab '5. Mainstream pipeline review' we corrected the content in the column 'Final Pipeline Review Decisions updated on 21 May 2026'.

  7. 21 May 2026

     Updated ‘List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: May 2026’.

  8. 15 May 2026

     Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for May 2026.

  9. 16 April 2026

     Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for April 2026.

  10. 25 March 2026

      Updated 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: March 2026'.

  11. 13 March 2026

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for March 2026.

  12. 13 February 2026

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for February 2026.

  13. 15 January 2026

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for January 2026.

  14. 11 December 2025

      Updated the 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for December 2025.

  15. 14 November 2025

      Updated the 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for November 2025.

  16. 27 October 2025

      Replaced 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: September 2025' with 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: October 2025'.

  17. 12 September 2025

      Updated the 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' to the latest version.

  18. 14 August 2025

      Replaced 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: July 2025' with 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: August 2025'.

  19. 14 July 2025

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for July 2025.

  20. 13 June 2025

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for June 2025.

  21. 15 May 2025

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for May 2025.

  22. 9 April 2025

      Replaced 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: March 2025' with 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: April 2025'.

  23. 14 March 2025

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for March 2025.

  24. 14 February 2025

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for February 2025.

  25. 15 January 2025

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for January 2025.

  26. 6 December 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for December 2024.

  27. 15 November 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for November 2024.

  28. 4 October 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for October 2024.

  29. 12 August 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for August 2024.

  30. 15 May 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for May 2024.

  31. 8 April 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for April 2024.

  32. 11 March 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for March 2024.

  33. 14 February 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for February 2024.

  34. 15 January 2024

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for January 2024.

  35. 14 December 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for December 2023.

  36. 14 November 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for November 2023.

  37. 13 October 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for October 2023.

  38. 14 September 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for September 2023.

  39. 14 August 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for August 2023.

  40. 14 July 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for July 2023.

  41. 14 June 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for June 2023.

  42. 16 May 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for May 2023.

  43. 18 April 2023

      The list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage has been updated for April 2023.

  44. 14 March 2023

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for March 2023.

  45. 14 February 2023

      The list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage has been updated for February 2023.

  46. 16 January 2023

      The list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage has been updated for January 2023.

  47. 14 December 2022

      The list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage has been updated for December 2022.

  48. 14 November 2022

      The list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage has been updated for November 2022.

  49. 14 October 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for October 2022.

  50. 22 September 2022

      Updated 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage (September 2022)' on the tab '3. Pre-opening' to correct information in column 'Government Office Region' in rows 31, 37 and 99.

  51. 20 September 2022

      The list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage has been updated for September 2022.

  52. 12 August 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for August 2022.

  53. 14 July 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for July 2022.

  54. 16 June 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for June 2022.

  55. 13 May 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for May 2022.

  56. 13 April 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for April 2022.

  57. 14 March 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for March 2022.

  58. 14 February 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for February 2022.

  59. 14 January 2022

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for January 2022.

  60. 14 December 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for December 2021.

  61. 12 November 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for November 2021.

  62. 14 October 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for October 2021.

  63. 14 September 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for September 2021.

  64. 11 August 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for August 2021.

  65. 14 July 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for July 2021.

  66. 11 June 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for June 2021.

  67. 14 May 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for May 2021.

  68. 19 April 2021

      Added 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage (April 2021)'.

  69. 10 March 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for March 2021.

  70. 5 February 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for February 2021.

  71. 15 January 2021

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for January 2021.

  72. 11 December 2020

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for December 2020.

  73. 11 November 2020

      Updated schools list to 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage (November 2020)'.

  74. 11 September 2020

      Added the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage (September 2020).

  75. 14 August 2020

      Updated free schools pipeline list spreadsheets for August 2020.

  76. 23 July 2020

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for July 2020.

  77. 10 July 2020

      Updated the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage.

  78. 3 June 2020

      Added the list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage (June 2020).

  79. 15 May 2020

      Updated to correct an error in the original publication regarding the pre-opening status for St Neots Academy.

  80. 12 May 2020

      Updated list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage (May 2020)

  81. 9 April 2020

      Updated list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for April 2020.

  82. 18 March 2020

      Updated list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for March 2020.

  83. 20 January 2020

      Updated list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for January 2020.

  84. 16 October 2019

      Added details of successful applications for free schools and university technical colleges in the pre-opening stage for October 2019.

  85. 6 September 2019

      Added details of successful applications for free schools and university technical colleges in the pre-opening stage for September 2019.

  86. 8 August 2019

      Updated list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for August 2019.

  87. 30 July 2019

      Updated list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for July 2019.

  88. 3 July 2019

      Added list of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage for July 2019

  89. 14 June 2019

      Updated spreadsheets to include information up to 14 June.

  90. 7 June 2019

      Updated the 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' with details for June 2019.

  91. 15 May 2019

      Replaced attachments with updated versions for May 2019.

  92. 26 April 2019

      Attached an updated version of 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage (April 2019)'.

  93. 11 April 2019

      Updated 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for April 2019.

  94. 15 March 2019

      Updated document 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for March 2019.

  95. 8 February 2019

      Attachments replaced with February versions.

  96. 15 January 2019

      Added January 2019 successful applications list.

  97. 7 December 2018

      Added December 2018 successful applications list.

  98. 5 November 2018

      Added November 2018 successful applications list.

  99. 4 October 2018

      Updated 'List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage' for October 2018.

  100. 2 October 2018

       Changes made to details section to help clarify types of free school.

  101. 4 September 2018

       First published.

Applies to England

Documents

List of free schools and UTCs in the pre-opening stage: September 2026

MS Excel Spreadsheet, 80.7 KB

Details

This document sets out the details of all schools in the pre-opening stage of the free school programme, including:

• type of school
• age group served
• local authority
• geographical region

There are many different types of free school, including:

• primary
• secondary
• all-through
• for students aged 16 to 19
• special
• alternative provision

There are also a small number of maths schools. These are specialist free schools for the most mathematically able students aged 16 to 19.

Alongside free schools, there are university technical colleges (UTCs) and studio schools. These are mainly for students aged 14 to 19.

Section 6A of the Education Act 2011, which changed the arrangements for establishing new schools, is called the academy or free school presumption.

Details of all open free schools, UTCs and studio schools and open academies and academy projects in development are available.