School Organisation Plan 2024 - Impact of Free Schools

Applications to set up a free school are made to the Department for Education (DfE). A free school can be set up by groups such as: academies; businesses; charities; community or faith groups; independent schools (private, fee-paying schools); parents; schools maintained by local authorities; teachers and universities.   

All applications to set up a free school must be approved by the Secretary of State for Education.  

The Council is consulted on all free school applications and assesses the potential effects of new free schools on existing schools. Any new school will have an impact on which children are able to gain a place in surrounding schools. Free schools are included in planning areas, however the methodology for forecasting the number of pupils for each school changes as additional schools are added and, in some cases, this results in established schools taking children from a wider or different area.