Transparency data

Free school applications: assessing the need for more schools

How we assess the need for a new mainstream school in a local area when we receive applications to open new free schools.

Applies to England

Documents

Details

These documents explain the criteria we use when we assess the need for a new mainstream free school in a local area for each application phase (wave).

Mainstream free schools can be:

  • primary schools
  • secondary schools
  • all-through schools
  • 16 to 19 schools

They exclude:

  • alternative providers (places that provide education for children who can’t go to a mainstream school)
  • special free schools (for children with special educational needs or disabilities)

Updates to this page

Published 16 September 2016
Last updated 15 December 2023 + show all updates
  1. Added 'Mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation (wave 15 update)'. Updated the list of mainstream free schools in scope of the wave 15 note for assessment of need.

  2. Added 'Mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation (wave 14 update)'.

  3. Added 'mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation (wave 13 update)'.

  4. Added 'Mainstream free school applications: assessment of need and deprivation, wave 12 update'.

  5. First published.

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