FOI release

The pre-registration inspection reports for all free schools open by 25 October 2013

Published 20 February 2014

Applies to England

  • date requested: 25 October 2013
  • date responded: 18 November 2013
  • date published: 20 February 2014

1. Request

The pre-registration inspection reports for all free schools open by 25 October 2013.

2. Release

Under the Education and Skills Act 2008, an Ofsted pre-registration inspection is required to inform the Secretary of State’s decision whether to register an institution as an independent school.

Following the pre-registration inspection, the Ofsted inspector produces an advice note for the Department for Education (DfE). Following a freedom of information request, DfE is publishing the Ofsted advice notes for the free schools that opened in 2013.

This release includes all the pre-registration advice notes for all free schools, university technical colleges and studio schools that opened in 2013.

The pre-registration advice notes for free schools that opened in 2011 and 2012 had already been released and published at the time this freedom of information request was made.

No new school is allowed to open unless it is completely ready to provide a high-quality education, in a safe environment. DfE made sure that any conditions were met by the schools before they opened in September.