Free schools

What is a free school?

Free schools are funded by the government but are not run by the Local Authority (council). They have more control and autonomy over how they do things. They are ‘all-ability’ schools, so cannot use academic selection processes like a grammar school.

Free schools can:

• set their own pay and conditions for staff
• change the length of school terms and the school day
• they don’t have to follow the national curriculum 

Free schools are run on a not-for-profit basis and can be set up by groups like:

• charities
• universities
• multi academy trusts
• independent schools
• community and faith groups
• teachers
• parents
• businesses

For groups wishing to set up a free school, they need to apply through the Department for Education (DfE) and all applications to set up a free school must be approved by the Secretary of State for Education.

There are two ways in which groups can open a free school:

1. Central Mainstream Free School Programme (no local authority involvement)
2. Presumption Route Free Schools (local authority establish need for school and identify location as well as funding construction)

Central Mainstream Free School Programme

From time to time, central Government invites applications from groups to establish high quality new schools.

The most recent wave of the Mainstream Free School Programme for additional school places was held in 2019. Bids were considered by the Secretary of State and the DfE announced successful bids in spring 2021.

The Department for Education (DfE) can provide the funding for land and construction costs for these free schools. To secure best value for money, where possible the DfE will look to supplement this funding with other contributions. This can include the provision of a site from local authorities or contributions from developers.

Before a school can be built, the usual planning process needs to be followed and a planning application must be submitted to the local council.

Presumption Route Free Schools

Local authorities (councils) have a legal duty to ensure there are sufficient school places in their area. Where councils identify the need for a new school, they must seek proposals to establish a free school through a presumption process.

If the presumption route process is used, the local authority is responsible for providing or securing the site for the new school and meeting the associated capital build costs, principally using basic need capital funding provided by the DfE and any contributions from housing developers.

In Gloucestershire four schools have been set up through this route including Clearwater Academy, Longford Primary Academy, Hunts Grove Primary Academy and the new secondary school in Cheltenham. We have also had sponsors approved for two other primary schools, one in Stonehouse (Gloucestershire Learning Alliance) and one in Chesterton (Corinium Education Trust). 

As the local authority we must run a ‘competition’ to invite sponsor academy trusts to submit a bid to open and run the new free school commissioned. We consider the bids and make a recommendation to the Secretary of State regarding the preferred sponsor. The final decision rests with the Secretary of State.

The estimated construction cost of providing a new school is as follows:

• 6FE 900 place Secondary School      £30 million
• 2FE 420 place Primary School          £7.5 million

These costs are construction and fittings only, they do not include the purchase of a site or funding any abnormal costs associated with the site or highways improvements.

Further information on the background and process for opening a new Free School is available here.