Mainstream Free school application guidance - December 15

Free school application guidance Mainstream and 16-19 schools opening in 2017 and beyond December 2015 Growing schools advice ¦ support ¦ ideas Contents If you would like to refer to a particular section in the handbook you can Ctrl + Click on the title in this contents page to be taken to it i What are mainstream free schools? ii How I set up a mainstream free school? iii How can New Schools Network (NSN) help? Application guidance Before you start: How to use this guidance 10 A Applicant details 11 B Outline of the school 13 C Education vision 15 D Education plan 21 D1: The curriculum plan 22 D2: Measuring pupil performance effectively and setting challenging targets 32 D3: Staffing structure 40 D4: Inclusivity 45 E: Evidence of need and engagement with the community 49 E1 Evidence of need 50 E2: Successful engagement with parents and the local community 55 F1: Capacity and capability to deliver the school to opening 59 F2 Accountability and decision making 69 F3 Indepdendent schools have a good educational track reocrd 77 F4: Independent schools have a good financial track record 79 F5: Indepednent schools have an appropriate site 82 G: Budget planning and affordability 82 H Premises 85 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Introduction This detailed handbook should be used in conjunction with the Department for Education’s Free school application guide, criteria and application form for mainstream and 16-19 free schools The DfE’s “Criteria for assessment” outline the criteria that will be used to assess the sections of the application form Our handbook aims to help you fulfil these criteria to the best of your ability NSN’s role NSN supports groups with their application but we are not part of the Department for Education and we not have any role in the assessment of free school applications Being accepted on to our Development Programme will not affect the way in which the DfE will assess your free school application i What are Mainstream free schools? Free schools are new, state-funded schools that are independent of Local Authority control and set up in areas with demonstrable need Mainstream free schools provide full-time education for at least five children over the age of five, and admit pupils on the basis of parental application Once open, free schools have the same legal status as academies and are funded and held accountable in the same ways The first 24 free schools opened in September 2011 There are now over 300 free schools open in England, of which over 200 are mainstream free schools Over 100 more free schools have been approved to open from September 2016 onwards In England, mainstream free schools must:       Teach students only of statutory school age, meaning from reception (normally starting age 4) until age 19 Any provision in a free school for over-19s will not be funded by the DfE as free schools however mainstream free schools are able to offer nursery provision, though the revenue funding (known as the free entitlement) for this is provided separately1 with schools having the additional flexibility of being able to charge parents for extra hours taken up (but not as a condition of receiving the free entitlement) to cover their costs in delivering this provision; Abide by the School Admissions Code; Have more than full-time pupils over the age of 5; Take account of the SEN Code of Practice; Be run by a charitable trust; and Provide a broad and balanced curriculum including core subjects such as maths, English and science, make provision for the teaching of religious education and a daily act of collective worship Free schools not have to follow the National Curriculum however early years provision including reception classes must follow the Early Years Foundation Stage In England, 16-19 free schools share many of the features of mainstream free schools but not have to:   Follow the School Admissions Code They may set their own admissions criteria, provided these are objective, transparent and fair; Offer a broad and balanced curriculum They may offer a specialised curriculum but must offer qualifications which meet the needs and interests of pupils as well as have a curriculum that meets the 16-19 study programme requirements; or Funding for up to 15 hours for and year-olds, and the most disadvantaged year olds, comes directly from the local authority (LA) who are required to fund such provision and groups should make their own arrangements with the LA to coordinate payments newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122  Follow special educational needs legislation However, they must give regard to equalities legislation, including ensuring equal access to young people with any disability, including learning difficulties that constitute a disability Free schools receive funding from the government for every child that attends, at a per pupil rate comparable to other state schools In order to establish a free school, every proposer group must have a credible plan to deliver high-quality education and demonstrate parental support for their particular type of provision Independent schools becoming free schools The DfE welcomes strong independent schools to apply to join the state sector If you are interested in doing so you will need to meet all of the independent school criteria as outlined in the ‘How to Apply’ guidance It will be important that, through the application, you demonstrate:           How your school will enhance choice and increase the number and quality of places locally The progress you will have already have made to develop and adapt your education, governance, leadership and management systems so that they are ready for the rigours of the state sector and the Ofsted inspection under the common inspection framework (CIF) It is expected that your application will demonstrate a greater level of preparedness in these areas given that your independent school has already established capacity and capability Clear strategic plans for how your education and leadership arrangements will transition to the state sector ready for opening successfully How you will widen access to your provision, particularly with regards to admitting and attracting pupils eligible for the pupil and service premiums that are proportionate to such children resident in the local authority, including by prioritising children eligible for these premiums in your admissions arrangements You will also need to cease selecting intake according to academic ability and comply with the School Admissions Code and free schools policy For example if you are a faith school you may only admit a maximum of 50% of pupils by reference to faith, and you may no longer admit pupils from non-European economic areas How your school can and will meet the needs of a new and different pupil population You should demonstrate how your behaviour and safety policies reflect and impact that different groups within the school, including pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, looked after children and pupils with English as an additional language How effectively you have already prepared your school to succeed in the state sector and achieve at least `good’ or `outstanding’ in your first Ofsted Inspection In particular, demonstrate how you will monitor and track pupil progress and meet both Ofsted’s pre- and post-16 achievement criteria (as appropriate to your school) How leadership in your school has successful systems in place to monitor and develop the effectiveness of teaching and learning delivered by staff, and the CPD arrangements to underpin that Clear transition plans for your governance arrangements You are required to complete a self-assessment of current governance arrangements and clearly detail your plans to become a highly effective governing body within the state sector How you will manage any expansion you are proposing You should set out the suitability of the related curriculum offer and be clear about the capacity of the school, both in terms of site, staff and resources to make expansion a success How, as a free school, your proposal will be financially viable and with sufficient reserves to develop and remain a successful school in the state sector school newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Additionally, as part of your free school application you will need to:        Sign a declaration guaranteeing that you have disclosed all financial liabilities, including tax disputes Complete a self-assessment against the Ofsted common inspection framework (CIF) It is recommended that you have these plans externally validated, ideally by a trained Ofsted inspector Have no significant issues relating to compliance in your last report Provide a link to your most recent inspection report Demonstrate that you have a good track record in managing finances Submit two years audited accounts (or alternative evidence of financial viability if your school has been open less than two years) Provide a site assessment carried out by a surveyor in the last year The DfE will judge your proposal on the basis of whether it is value for money, and if it will be successful in the state sector You are unlikely to be approved unless you can demonstrate this in your application The DfE will consider the costs and benefits of the proposal based on a number of factors including:       A ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ (or equivalent) rating in your last inspection Your plans to increase capacity and take on more pupils (this can be either through filling existing vacancies or creating new places) The level of basic need and deprivation in your area The level of debt of your existing school The size of capital investment required The results at KS2 (level 4+ and level 5+), GCSE (5A*-C including English and Maths) and A-Level, that are at least equal to the local authority and national averages in all of the last three years When considering your plans to apply to convert to a free school, it is important to bear in mind that the DfE have stated they favour applications from independent schools which can expand their pupil intake and that if your school has significant debts or requires large capital investment, it is unlikely to be approved If your school passes the paper-based assessment, you will receive a visit from one or more DfE representatives prior to your interview This will also inform the questions you are asked at your interview with the DfE Additionally, as an independent converter you will not usually be entitled to the post-opening funding that other free school groups can access Issues to be aware of    Currently the free schools policy only applies in England Education policy in Scotland and Wales lies with the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly respectively For this reason, legislation covering English schools does not affect schools in Scotland and Wales; All free school proposals must be for schools that are new to the state system; and Existing state schools, including voluntary aided and foundation schools, can convert to become Academies rather than free schools If you would like more information on the Academy process, please visit the link below newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 ii How I set up a mainstream free school? To set up a mainstream free school, a group of people must form a non-profit Company Limited by Guarantee When forming your company limited by guarantee you should adopt the Articles and Memorandum of Association which been developed specifically for free schools and academies by the DfE These are available for a single academy trust (SAT) where you plan to open a single free school or a multi-academy trust (MAT) where you plan to open two or more free schools The model documents can be found here NSN has produced guidance on setting up a company limited by guarantee here Once you have adopted these standard Articles and Memorandum of Association, the company will become an exempt charity (referred to as the academy trust) It is this Trust which will submit the application to the DfE If your application is successful, the government will support you with funding and expertise to set up your school over the next year If this can be done successfully, your academy will sign a funding agreement with the DfE Once open, your free school will be run by the academy trust and will have the same legal status as an academy How to apply There is one application form for all applicants wishing to set up a mainstream free school Applicants must fill out different parts of this depending on their track record This is because the DfE already hold information on existing trusts We have therefore used the terminology of ‘applicants completing the shorter information’ or ‘applicants completing the longer information’ to indicate the sections where this is the case Should I complete the shorter or longer application information? For Wave 11 (March 2016) and beyond the DfE has updated the application process so that where they already hold information where a trust, they are not asking for this information again This will make the application shorter and simpler for some trusts Sections C and E have to be completed by all proposer groups in full Sections D, F and G have criteria that will require less information for some groups For each of these sections, we have outlined in the table at the start of each section what you need to complete depending on what type of group you are Throughout this document this is referred to as ‘applicants completing the shorter information’ and ‘applicants completing the longer information’ ‘A strong track record’ The DfE have said that when they refer to schools, trusts or individuals with a good track record, they want to see that:  You have a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ judgement from Ofsted;  Your achievement is above local authority and national averages (looking at KS2/4/5 results including absolute results and trajectories, and Best value-added scores) and should not be on a downward trajectory since the last Ofsted inspection On the data this is a guideline not a hard-and-fast rule If there is an anomaly in your data that the DfE should know about, or a specific reason why the school does not meet this definition (e.g the school has not been open long enough for exam results) you are advised to make this clear to them newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 If you want to complete the shorter application information for sections D and G the school you are replicating will need to fit this definition Your application Important things to remember about the process of applying to set up a free school are:  The process is achievable and NSN can help to support you through it  There is no quota or set number of free schools that can be approved in each year  You may apply more than once to open a free school, if you are initially unsuccessful, although you will be expected to specifically address all of the DfE’s feedback on your previously unsuccessful application Please bear in mind that applications will not be considered for:  Schools that are only at nursery level  An existing school wishing to extend its age range  Schools that are proposed by people which the DfE consider unsuitable for the task, or if the school endorses violence, illegal activity or an ethos that does not promote fundamental British values of the rule of law, equality and democracy  Schools that propose to teach creationism, intelligent design, or similar ideas as valid scientific theories In addition please be aware that:  Independent schools must also meet all of the requirements set out in the DfE’s ‘How to Apply’ guidance  Applications for schools to be designated with a particular faith may only select up to 50% of pupils on the basis of faith if they are oversubscribed Small schools The DfE have stated in their How to apply guide that applicants applying for a small school or a school with a small sixth form will need to make a very strong case to explain why their school will be able to overcome the challenges small schools face, specifically the ability to provide a broad educational offer, become financially secure and offer good value for money Even if your application is approved the DfE may ask you to consider expanding the proposed size of your school or sixth form to ensure that they get the maximum value from the investment of capital funding and to improve the educational and financial sustainability of your school An example of a small school would be a 1FE primary or a 2FE secondary school iii How can New Schools Network (NSN) help? We think our support makes a big difference So far, NSN has worked with around 80% of free schools that are either open or have been approved to open All our services are free but we offer different types of support:  Support for all groups - including events, a one-to-one meeting, email and telephone advice and a variety of resources on our website  Our Development Programme - a programme of individualised, intensive support and funding This is also free, but limited to groups that meet our criteria and show strong potential to develop a high quality free school application newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Further information     DfE free school application materials: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/opening-afree-school Register on the NSN website to receive regular updates about our services and the free school policy: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/register-with-nsn View the resources on the NSN website for a comprehensive list of all the guidance we produce and useful links to other sources of information: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-afree-school/resources What type of free school are you? If you are unsure whether your proposal would be classed as a mainstream school, please refer to our guidance on different types of free schools: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-a-free-school/get-started/what-are-the-differenttypes-of-free-school newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Application guidance Before you start: Putting together a free school application is a lot of work It is crucial that you and your team understand the time and effort that submitting a good application takes so that you are able to plan effectively Most groups combine writing an application with working full time, or with other important responsibilities, so planning ahead is essential Submitting a high quality application is difficult but achievable Remember that NSN can provide you with support in every aspect of putting your application together If you have not done so by the time you begin your application, we would strongly advise that you contact us (info@newschoolsnetwork.org or 020 7537 9208) with any questions about the application process that you cannot find the answer to on our website How will your application be assessed? The DfE have stated that they will assess all applications against:  The criteria set out in the relevant assessment criteria booklet for your proposed type of school;  Other mainstream, 16 to 19, AP and special free school applications as appropriate  A range of contextual factors including value for money More details of how this assessment will be conducted can be found in the DfE’s Free school application guide How should you complete your application? You should follow the guidelines concerning font and style laid down by the DfE in their Free school application guide You should ensure that you are using the correct application form for your school and that you are following the instructions given in that form You will need to submit your application form, including Word and Excel templates, by email and in two hard copies Further details can be found in the DfE’s Free school application guide Please be aware that you must complete, to a high standard, all criteria relevant to your application type The DfE have stated that if you not provide the information requested in order to meet their criteria, then your application may not be fully assessed and you may not receive feedback on the other sections It is therefore vital that you carefully complete the application following the requirements in the applications criteria What makes a strong application? Over the last years NSN has reviewed hundreds of applications to open free schools In our experience, all outstanding applications have some features in common These include:    A clear structure: applications should be clearly structured to follow the order of the DfE’s criteria This helps you to ensure that you have included all the necessary information to meet those criteria It also makes assessing your application much easier A strong vision: your vision should be woven throughout your application Ideally, an assessor should be able to pick up any individual section of your application and know that it is linked to your vision without being told A high level of detail: a strong application will give the reader a sense of what the school will look like in reality and give confidence that proposals have been well thought-out newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122    A compelling narrative: Your application is a complex document but you should try to maintain a clear and consistent tone Please be aware that it is not possible to use appendices other than as instructed by the DfE All information needed to meet the criteria must therefore be included in the main body of your application Well-justified decisions: great applications show that each of the key elements of your proposals have been thought through and explained Setting up a free school is your chance to create an entirely new school, and every decision you have made in designing it should be justified in your application If you are an existing provider or are planning to convert the status of an existing school, you should still explain why you are retaining the best features of your school, and why you are making any changes Positive: your application is your chance to sell your ideas, and your school, to the DfE It should be detailed, positive, and above all an argument for why you think your proposed school would benefit young people and your community, not simply a critique of existing schools or practices How to use this guidance This guidance is designed to help you at all stages of completing your free school application You may well find it useful to read the entire document before you begin writing We hope that you will always find it useful to dip in and out of the appropriate sections as you complete them Please remember that NSN is here to help you, and if you would like to discuss anything raised in this guidance in more detail, you can contact us at any time The following guidance is laid out in the same structure as the DfE’s application form We strongly recommend that you follow this structure when putting your application together At the beginning of each sub-section, you will see a table like this: Assessment Criteria Example Approximate Length Example Key links Example This table is designed to give you key information to consider before and during your writing of the section It is designed to be a quick, easy guide to what each section of the application may look like when you have finished writing it The following information is given:    Assessment criteria: the DfE’s criteria for this section, which you must meet in order to produce a good application Approximate length: this is based on the DfE’s recommended page length for this section Remember, the DfE have specified that the maximum page limit for your application is 100 pages of A4, plus excel spreadsheets and appendices they have specified Key links: some of the sections have strong links to others We have suggested other sections you will need to consider when writing each section In places, you may want to explicitly reference these links in your application The detailed guidance below each box will give more information on what you should include in each section, and questions you may wish to consider when putting each part of your application together This is not designed to be exhaustive but covers most of the key issues which most applicants will need to consider when completing the application form Lastly, you can find additional useful relevant resources in the appendices of this document 10 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 If you not have years of audited accounts because your school has not been open long enough, you will need to supply other suitable evidence to show your school’s financial viability such as unaudited accounts or extracts from your books The type of information the DfE are looking for is:  accumulated reserves,  healthy surpluses being generated from continuing operations,  a healthy balance sheet,  no outstanding unsecured loans,  no qualified audit opinions In addition the DfE ask you to provide information on any relevant financial issues relating to the potential conversion to free school status and explain how you will seek to address them Examples of financial issues which may impact on becoming a free school include running at an operating deficit or having outstanding loans and overdrafts, including mortgages You should provide an outline of these issues here, but expect to discuss these in greater detail in later stages of the application process Remember that the DfE will assess your application on a cost benefit analysis relating to whether or not your school represents good value for money Your application is very unlikely to be approved if it has significant debts Finally, you should confirm in writing that you have disclosed all financial liabilities Demonstrating competence You need to demonstrate that your governance and management team has the necessary experience to run your current school and show that they will be able to run a free school with potentially a much larger and more diverse intake You will have gone through your proposals for a governance structure earlier in section F2 and F3 In this particular subsection you should clearly emphasise how your existing school is competently run in terms of financial capability You will need to show that there are no existing compliance or financial issues which the free school will inherit The DfE will not be inclined to approve applications from schools that have any outstanding unsecured loans, or unusual corporate ownership or governance arrangements They will not accept schools which have any history of non-compliance with statutory requirements or substantiated findings of fraud and corruption 80 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 F5: Independent schools have an appropriate, wellmaintained secure site Assessment criterion: Show that you have an appropriate site for the needs of the state sector Possible appendices: A site assessment carried out by a surveyor in the last year G Key links: In this section the DfE are looking to test how well your site is suited to accommodate your free school (such as the capacity to expand pupil numbers) and the extent to which your site will require capital investment You should bear in mind that the DfE will assess your application on a cost benefit analysis relating to whether or not your school represents good value for money Your application is very unlikely to be approved if it requires significant capital investment In this section the DfE states that you must provide a site assessment carried out by a surveyor in the last year which:  Clarifies (if applicable) the capacity to expand pupil numbers and how the building will be fit to teach the proposed curriculum to the standards required;  Fully discloses site dilapidation and capital investment requirements;  Fully discloses site maintenance, policies and procedures The DfE states that you must also provide:  A schedule of the school’s leasehold and freehold properties, including detail of rent and service charges payable;  Provide a plan of each property which will be suitable for the purpose of making searches;  Provide details of mortgages, charges and other security instruments or any option over any of the assets You should bear in mind that following your paper application, you will receive a visit from one or more DfE representatives where they, amongst other things, be looking at your site requirements 81 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 G: Budget planning and affordability Assessment criterion: Accurate financial plans that are consistent with the rest of the application and based on realistic assumptions about income and expenditure; Shorter/longer applicant: Applicants completing the shorter information You have an existing mainstream school with a strong track record that is of the same age range as the school you are proposing, and you want to replicate this (similar curriculum, same age range) Approximate length: Applicants completing the longer information You not have an existing mainstream school with a strong track record that is of the same age range as the school you are proposing Completed budget plan (using DfE template) Key links: C, D, H Applicants completing the shorter information In this section, the DfE are looking for evidence that your proposed school will be financially viable If you have an existing state funded school of the same type and phase as that which you are proposing, and therefore have completed the shorter information for section D , they will use your track record as a provider as evidence of this Please note, however, that the DfE have stated that:  There is a presumption that primary provision should have a minimum of two forms of entry of 30 pupils and secondary provision has a minimum of four forms of entry of 30 pupils If you are proposing a replication of a successful school that is smaller than this, you should provide a clear rationale for the model you will use focusing on value for money and educational impact If DfE not consider your proposal to offer long term value for money because of the proposed size, they may make increasing the size a condition of approval or reject the proposal all together Regardless of the size of the proposed school you should be aware that, if the DfE have questions about the viability of your proposal, they may ask you to complete a financial template in preparation for interview Applicants completing the longer information 82 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 If you are a new provider, or are an existing provider proposing a school that is of a different type or phase to that which you already operate, and therefore completed the longer information in Section D, you should complete this section in full Besides Section D (Education plan), this section of the application form is likely to take the most amount of time to complete, since it should reflect and be developed in conjunction with the rest of your application, and will almost certainly need a number of iterations You should therefore ensure that you dedicate enough time and resources to it in order to be able to this successfully The DfE will see the quality of your financial plans as an indicator of the financial expertise within your group, as well as whether your free school would be financially viable If you cannot convince the DfE that your free school would be financially sound or that you have the capacity to make effective financial decisions, then you are extremely unlikely to be approved Your budget plan When approaching this section, the first thing you should is download the relevant budget plan from the DfE’s website and read the guidance they have produced on how to complete it, which you can find on the same page of Gov.uk as the template The DfE has also published guidance on revenue funding for free schools You should then download NSN’s guide to Mainstream finance This outlines some of the key issues you will need to think about in relation to developing financial plans for your free school and how we suggest you approach each tab of the budget plan The DfE have provided detailed information in their ‘How to Apply’ guidance on the information your budget plan must show – e.g no cumulative deficit in any year You must ensure that your budget plan meets these criteria since a failure to so will significantly weaken your application The criteria explicitly state that you must:  Complete the Excel financial template showing income and planned expenditure and the assumptions made about each in the space provided This means populating column Q of the spreadsheet with benchmarking data – e.g Teacher salary benchmarked at M6  Explain clearly what you have based your assumptions and why this is realistic and appropriate This means illustrating what your assumptions are based upon - e.g Premises costs benchmarked against local X primary academy of similar size and pupil demographic  Make sure the information in your plan is consistent with the rest of the application This means ensuring there are no discrepancies between the pupil numbers presented in D1, the staffing in D3 and the budget  Show that you have allowed for unforeseen problems and contingencies This means building a line for contingency (usually set at 1% of income) into the other expenditure element of the budget tab and presenting robust plans to manage reductions in income in section D3, as well as having an annual surplus of between and 5% in each year and no more than 20% cumulative surplus by steady state 83 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122  Not show a cumulative deficit in any year In year deficits must be planned for by accumulating surplus in previous years  Not be dependent on third party income to break even in any year This means that, regardless of the level of third party income you hope to realise, removing any third party income that is represented in the other income area of your budget should not put you into deficit in any year This includes lettings income, income from wrap around care and school meals and fundraising income The quality of your financial plans by the extent to which it is reasonable, represents good value for money and is prudent, including an assessment of:  Core operating income / expenditure assumptions;  Benchmarking information for income and expenditure;  Contingencies;  Any centrally provided services and their costs;  Proportion of spend allocated to each budget area – and particularly to staffing;  Staff to pupil ratios;  The context of the local area (e.g the percentage of FSM and SEN pupils);  The school’s particular education offer (e.g specialist teachers, equipment) For the nursery element of any free school, the DfE will expect you to:  Demonstrate that the nursery provision is not dependent on income from the main school to be financially viable;  Show you have robust plans for how you will manage the sessions and any finances associated with additional hours that parents can pay for You should also briefly explain your charging policy, entered in the text box provided in Section G For existing independent schools wishing to convert to free school status, the DfE also ask you to detail:  Your assumptions as to how you will remain financially viable, with sufficient reserves, to operate as a successful state sector school;  The assumptions of the development costs of maintaining a good or outstanding school 84 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 H Premises Assessment criterion: None Approximate length: Excel spreadsheet provided Key links: C, D The premises that your school is situated in are essential to how your school operates on a day to day basis However, because you are not permitted to enter into any negotiations around purchasing or leasing a site if that transaction might involve public money, there is little that you can now in terms of actually securing a site This work will be done in partnership with the EFA if your school is approved As a result, there are no assessment criteria for this section of the application, though you should bear in mind that the DfE make value for money judgments on each free school application, which include likely site costs Despite this, it is important that you make every effort to identify potential site options before you apply The DfE have stated that if it proves impossible to identify a feasible site for your free school then it may have to delay or even cancel its opening You will be in the strongest possible position if you can identify a number of feasible sites during the application stage You should also aim to get the local authority’s support for your project if possible as this is likely to make the planning process in pre-opening smoother You can find more information on what you can to search for a site prior to your application being submitted and what role the EFA will play in our guidance on finding premises here Describing site options The application form allows you to name up to different site options but you should only include here on those which would be viable for your free school Where you have identified a site (s), you will need to provide the following information for each one:  the details of your preferred location;  the full address and postcode;  details of how you found the site;  the tenure and ownership plus purchase/lease cost if known;  confirmation of LA support for use of a site, if applicable;  confirmation of availability;  an outline of its current use;  your reasons for choosing it and its suitability;  size of site and building, if known;  comments on the condition of the building Additionally, you should provide any site plans, agent’s particulars, photos, catchment/location maps or other associated technical information as annexes by sending to: premises.freeschools@education.gsi.gov.uk clearly marking the name and location of your free school in the subject line All supporting text information on sites must be included in the Excel application form In terms of the application form, if you have not yet identified a site you should indicate where you would like a school by providing a full post code of your preferred location 85 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 The information that you need to provide is such that you can obtain it by making preliminary enquiries with the Local Authority, agents or owners without making any commitment whatsoever If you feel that an ideal site needs to be secured or earmarked as soon as possible you can contact us or the EFA directly and in exceptional circumstances they will be able to enquire into sites even before your application has been fully assessed Full details of the EFA’s role can be found in our document on finding premises Independent converters If you are an independent school wishing to convert to a free school, you will not need to fill in the previous part of this section However, you can describe your premises in brief in the last questions in this section You will need to reiterate whether you will be increasing your PAN and to what You need to confirm the size of your current site and buildings and how you hold them, including details of any loans or mortgages The DfE are looking for good value for money from independent converters You will already have demonstrated a good financial track record and management of your school, this should be reflected in the way you manage your premises Your future plans should also offer good value for money and the DfE will be seeking to avoid making large capital investments in existing schools However, if you plan to considerably increase the number of places on offer you will no doubt need some investment in your site The EFA will be able to assess whether your site will need increasing according to your new PAN Do keep in mind that the DfE favour independent schools that can expand their pupil intake, either by filling vacant places or creating entirely new places on their existing sites If your independent school has significant debts or requires large capital investment, it is very unlikely to be approved Nursery provision Where DfE approve it for the purpose, capital funding provided by the free school programme may be used to establish a nursery in your free school Revenue funding for free early education is provided by the local authority using each local authority’s Early Years Single Funding Formula Local authorities are required to fund schools that deliver this free entitlement provision If you are interested in offering nursery provision, you should speak to your local authority to find out how much you could receive However, the funding you receive to establish your free school and provide for compulsory age children (children from the age of five) cannot be used for this purpose 86 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Appendix We have listed below some resources that will be useful when completing your application Whole application   DfE Mainstream free school Application Forms and Criteria: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mainstream-and-16-to-19-free-schoolapplications DfE How to Apply Guidance explains the application process for all free schools and has more information on the DfE’s requirements for applications https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/free-schools-in-2014-how-to-apply-mainstreamand-16-to-19-free-schools Section C For data sources on a need for places in your area and the quality of local schools please see sources for section E1 below  DfE performance tables allow you to compare the performance, funding and staff/pupil profile of local schools: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/  Edubase, the DfE’s register of educational establishments in England and Wales, allows you to view comparative data on schools in your area: http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml Information on the socio-economic profile of your area  Information on Indices of Multiple Deprivation present in your area: o http://data.gov.uk/dataset/index-of-multiple-deprivation o http://opendatacommunities.org/deprivation/map General information on trends in education  DfE statistics can be helpful in finding out more about general trends in England or your area: http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/statistics  DfE research can also be helpful in building an evidence base for your chosen approach: o http://www.education.gov.uk/researchandstatistics/research  Reviewing research from bodies which look at particular groups of pupils For example, the Education Endowment Foundation looks especially at pupils at risk of disadvantage: http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/ Section D1 Designing your curriculum  Information from the DfE on statutory guidelines around curriculum, as they apply to Academies and free schools, can be found at: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/guidanceandadvice?f_category=Curriculum%3b+assessmen t+and+support&page=1&f_school_types=Academies  NSN guidance sets out the features of a range of different curriculums which you may wish to consider using in your free school: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-a-freeschool/resources/curriculum-summaries  Ofsted o The Common Inspection Framework, which all free schools will be inspected against, can be found here along with the accompanying handbook: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-inspection-framework-educationskills-and-early-years-from-september-2015 87 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 o Ofsted have also produced guidance on best practice in schools, which you may find helpful: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/resources/publications Meeting all needs through your curriculum  DfE’s official page for SEND: http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/send  Implementing the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) in schools and Early Years settings is an essential guide to the duties set out in the DDA It is designed to help schools fulfil their obligations to improve access and prevent discrimination: http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/DfES%200160%2020 06  The SEN Code of Practice must be followed by all free schools: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DfES%200581%202 001  The SEN Toolkit offers additional information and practical advice on ways to implement the Code and to support pupils with a range of SEN: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DfES%200558%202 001  NASEN is the leading organisation in the UK for information about SEN They have produced a number of resources, training and Information Sheets which you may find useful: www.nasen.org.uk  Achievement for All is an independent charity that works with schools to help improve their SEN practice: http://www.afa3as.org.uk/ Section D2 Creating targets  DfE Performance Tables give information on the achievement and attainment of pupils in primary and secondary schools and colleges for key stages 2, and 5, and how they compare with other schools in their local authority (LA) area and in England as a whole: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/  DfE assessment point score analysis shows in more detail how point scores for pupils at different Key Stages are constructed: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/secondary_11/PointsScoreAllocation2011.pdf  DfE guidance on Progress 8: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/progress-8-schoolperformance-measure Attainment of different groups of pupils  DfE guidance on the use of pupil premium for disadvantaged pupils: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/premium/a0076063/pp  The Education Endowment Foundation’s Toolkit offers a range of evidence based approaches for deploying the pupil premium effectively: http://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/toolkit Monitoring and tracking systems  Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework and accompanying handbook provides the criteria and descriptors set out in the inspection framework and guidance illustrates the standards of performance and effectiveness expected of schools It is therefore a valuable source document for schools seeking to implement a robust, nationally referenced, self-evaluation system: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-inspection-framework-education-skillsand-early-years-from-september-2015  This report sets out best practice when reporting progress to parents: http://www.niace.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/projects/Family/External_research/DEPAR TMENT-FOR-EDUCATION-Good-Practice-in-Parental-Engagement.pdf 88 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122  Ofsted’s approach to inspecting the quality of teaching in schools may inform your own practice: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=ofsted Section D3    The Teaching Expertise website provides advice on staffing structures from a variety of teachers and school leaders: http://www.teachingexpertise.com/topic/staffing-structures Other examples of school staffing structures can be found at: o Cumbria Grid for Learning – Example School Staffing Structures – http://www.cumbriagridforlearning.org.uk/index.php?category_id=230 The DfE has produced guidance to forthcoming changes to teacher pay and conditions You not need to include reference to these here, but they may be helpful in building your staffing plans: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/careers/payandpensions Section D4  NSN’s guidance on faith schools: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-a-freeschool/resources/guidance-for-faith-free-schools  Guidance for schools on the Equality Act is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/equality-act-2010-advice-for-schools Guidance on promoting British values is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-the-smsc-development-of-pupils-inindependent-schools  Guidance on the Prevent duty: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-dutyguidance  Statutory guidance on safeguarding: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keepingchildren-safe-in-education  The PSHE Association also offers some useful advice on the provision on PSHE Their website can be found here: https://www.pshe-association.org.uk/ Section E1  DfE guide – Mainstream free schools: Assessing the need for a new school in an area – this is incredibly useful as an insight into how the DfE assess need Need for school places (basic need)  Comparative data on schools in your area: http://www.education.gov.uk/edubase/home.xhtml  Primary schools in your area: http://www.findaschool.info/  Data from your Local Authority holds You can find your Local Authority’s website through: http://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/Start.do?mode=1  Cross border movement of primary, secondary, SEN and sixth form pupils in England (pupils who have to travel outside their local area to get to school: http://neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination/datasetList.do?$ph=60&updateRequired=tr ue&step=1&CurrentTreeIndex=-1&Expand4=1#4 Evidence of need in terms of low standards in local schools  Ofsted reports: http://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/  Ofsted’s ‘School Data Dashboards’ which give a snapshot of each school’s performance at Key Stages 1, and 4: http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/  DfE performance tables and exam results: http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/performance/ Section E2 89 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122  NSN guidance on gathering demand for your free school: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-a-free-school/resources/how-to-show-your-evidenceof-demand-mainstream-16-19-schools Section F1   The Governor’s Handbook sets out the DfE’s expectations of governors and should guide you when considering who is suitable to take up this role: http://www.nga.org.uk/Can-we-help/Freegovernance-resources/Governors-Guide-to-the-Law.aspx The National Governors’ Association has produced a skills audit which sets out the key skills they think all governing bodies should have A copy can be found through: http://www.nga.org.uk/Guidance/Workings-Of-The-Governing-Body/Governance-Tools/SkillsAudit.aspx Section F2        NSN has produced notes on different aspects of governance: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-a-free-school/resources/governance-in-free-schools The National College for Teaching & Leadership offers numerous publications on governance and a school governor toolkit For example, this document on the role of Chair of Governors: http://www.education.gov.uk/nationalcollege/docinfo?id=155697&filename=leadinggovernors.pdf You can access these documents for free here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/national-college-for-teaching-and-leadership and further archived documents are available here: https://www.nationalcollege.org.uk/?q=node/32 Ofsted have produced a report about best practice in school governance, here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/413585/School_ governance_learning_from_the_best.pdf The National Governors Association is the representative body for state-funded school governors in England, which has produced a number of resources for school governors Though you need to pay for membership of the NGA, you can access a number of useful documents from it for free through: http://www.nga.org.uk/Guidance.aspx The Governor’s Handbook has recently been updated to include the DfE’s latest expectations for school governors: http://www.nga.org.uk/Can-we-help/Free-governance-resources/GovernorsGuide-to-the-Law.aspx Ofsted’s Data Dashboards are a key resource for governors in identifying any major weaknesses in their school and assessing its performance against similar schools: http://dashboard.ofsted.gov.uk/ DfE Sponsor Capacity Fund provides additional funding for academy trusts taking on new schools Section H   The EFA manage the identification, acquisition and development of sites for free schools: http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/executiveagencies/efa NSN guidance on finding a site for your free school suggests practical steps you can take to find site options: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-a-free-school/resources/premises-findingthe-right-school-for-you 90 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Application reading list – mainstream The following is a list of resources that we think free school applicant groups will find useful It covers the main aspects of putting together a free school proposal Resource How to show your evidence of demand Sample school support survey Preparing your press release Building your team Skills gap analysis tool Governance structures: Single Academy Trusts Governance structures: Multi Academy Trusts The role of governors Completing your budget plan Premises – finding the right school for you Completing section D1 Completing section D2 Completing section D3 Completing section E2 Completing section F1 Completing section F2 Pre-opening guidance Description Guidance on what the DfE will want to see from your evidence of demand and how to present this A DfE-approved template demand survey that you can use as the basis for your own support survey Guidance on creating a press release to raise awareness of your school Advice on the expertise you need and how you can acquire this if you not have it already This will help you to identify any gaps in expertise in your team or proposed governing body This is an introduction to how governance works in free schools and it sets out the key questions you need to consider when deciding on the governance arrangements for your Free School This guidance, aimed at Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) setting up Free Schools or existing Academies that need to create one in order to establish a new Free School, sets out the key questions you need to consider when deciding on the structure of your governance arrangements and offers advice on issues relevant to how they function Information on the critical role played by governors in free schools This includes details about what governors are expected to do, their role during different stages of the school's life and advice about who should be a governor Guidance on the key areas you will need to consider when creating the budget for your school Guidance on what you can at application stage to identify suitable premises for your school These resources aim to help you address difficult aspects of the DfE’s application criteria These resources set out presentational methods that have been effective for other groups when tackling the application The guidance focuses on how groups can use their Project Development Grant, but it also contains lots of good tips from free schools on how to approach various issues in pre-opening 91 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Department for Education materials Application criteria The DfE’s criteria for the application Free school application Guidelines around the completion and submission of your guide application Section I (suitability and This is a personal information form that enables the DfE to carry declarations) out security checks Members and trustees of the trust proposing the free school have to complete this, along with lead applicants and the Principal Designate Academies Financial This sets out the financial management, control and reporting Handbook requirements with which academy trusts must comply Governors’ Handbook Information on the role and functions of governing bodies Pre-opening guide Information and supporting materials on the tasks that need to be completed during pre-opening This is useful for when you are setting out in section F1 of the application who will be responsible for what in pre-opening 92 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Free school application checklist: what to before submitting your application Before submitting your application to the DfE, there are various things you will need to that are not part of the application form itself Below is a list of tasks that we would advise groups in the application stage of setting up a free school to These will strengthen your application and will benefit your project in the pre-opening phase if it is approved Useful people to speak to Local authority You should notify the LA of your proposal and try to get their support if possible because this will be very useful if your project is approved In addition, you should: - Ask the LA for their data on the projected need for pupil places in the area your school will be in, as they will have the most accurate data on this - Discuss any potential sites as they will be responsible for the planning process in pre-opening Education Funding Agency (EFA) The Education Funding Agency is responsible for finding sites for free schools This is one of the most challenging aspects of setting up a free school so it is worth contacting them as early as possible to inform them of your proposal and discuss any suitable sites you have identified in your area Regional Schools Commissioners (RSCs) RSCs will be advising on (and from June 2015 deciding) which free school applications should be approved It is therefore very advisable to contact your local RSC and arrange a meeting to discuss your proposal More information on the role of RSCs can be found in the DfE’s pre-opening guide Approved free schools It is worth speaking to any approved free schools that are local to you or are similar to your proposed school to get their perspective on the application process and pre-opening The DfE have published a list of all open and approved free schools which will allow you to find those relevant to your proposal Additional forms to complete Set up a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) This is the academy trust that will govern the free school You must set up your CLG by the time you submit your application to the DfE We have produced guidance on how to this Section I The DfE’s Section I form must be completed by all members and 93 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 directors of the academy trust proposing the free school, the Principal Designate if you have one, and lead applicants Important people to recruit Principal If you not have a Principal Designate identified already, you must determine how you will recruit a Principal: what the recruitment process will be, the timeline, where will you advertise and what you look for in a candidate You will need to include information on this in section F4 of the application Chair of governors This is not required by the DfE but if you not this by application submission you will need to in the pre-opening period, so it is worth thinking about how you will this, what you would look for in the person and whether you know anyone who would be suitable Key documents to read Read the DfE’s preopening guide This outlines the tasks that need to be completed in pre-opening, so it will help you to determine the time commitments you need from team members in this phase and the roles that individuals will have 94 newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 ... types of free schools: http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-a -free- school/ get-started/what-are-the-differenttypes-of -free- school newschoolsnetwork.org Charity number: 1132122 Application guidance. .. http://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/set-up-afree -school/ resources What type of free school are you? If you are unsure whether your proposal would be classed as a mainstream school, please refer to our guidance. .. free school applications Being accepted on to our Development Programme will not affect the way in which the DfE will assess your free school application i What are Mainstream free schools? Free