Establishing a strong governance structure in the pre-opening period is essential to the continued success of your trust and of your free school. During pre-opening, you will need to submit a complete governance plan to the DfE for approval. This guidance aims to provide an overview of what needs to be included in the governance plan you will submit to the DfE. It includes practical guidance and lessons learned from groups that have opened free schools in the past. 

Your group may benefit from more tailored advice from our governance associates, you may wish to consider the NSN Essentials Advisory Services or our Project Management Partnership. These services provide access to illustrations, exemplars and expert guidance developed to support school governance and the effective growth of MATs. 

Having strong project management is critical in ensuring all tasks in pre-opening are completed efficiently to allow your free school to open.  Your project manager needs to have a strong understanding of the various risks and tasks that your project will involve. An introduction to these is available from our opening tools. Based on vast experience and developed in line with the DfE’s pre-opening guidance, these tools will help you consider your project management tasks and schedules when preparing to open your free school.

If you are interested in working with NSN to deliver some of your pre-opening tasks, please contact preopen@newschoolsnetwork.org for more information. 

Having strong project management is critical in ensuring all tasks in pre-opening are completed efficiently to allow your free school to open.  Your project manager needs to have a strong understanding of the various risks and tasks that your project will involve. An introduction to these is available from our opening tools. Based on vast experience and developed in line with the DfE’s pre-opening guidance, these tools will help you consider your project management tasks and schedules when preparing to open your free school.

If you are interested in working with NSN to deliver some of your pre-opening tasks, please contact preopen@newschoolsnetwork.org for more information. 

Depending on the circumstances of your project you may be offered an opportunity to observe the tendering process for your main contractor. There is very little opportunity to influence the process or its outcome, but if you have been actively engaged through the early stages, and have ensured your vision and ethos for education has been clearly articulated in feasibility studies and other documentation, you will be in a better position to assess and inform yourself on the aspects that are important to your project.

To download this resource, you need to be enrolled on to one of NSN’s paid-for Delivery Programme services. For information about these services, please click here. Alternatively, feel free to contact us by emailingpre open@newschoolsnetwork.org or phone (020 7537 9208). Already a member? Login here.

Having strong project management is critical in ensuring all tasks in pre-opening are completed efficiently to allow your free school to open.  Your project manager needs to have a strong understanding of the various risks and tasks that your project will involve. An introduction to these is available from our opening tools. Based on vast experience and developed in line with the DfE’s pre-opening guidance, these tools will help you consider your project management tasks and schedules when preparing to open your free school.

If you are interested in working with NSN to deliver some of your pre-opening tasks, please contact preopen@newschoolsnetwork.org for more information. 

Having strong project management is critical in ensuring all tasks in pre-opening are completed efficiently to allow your free school to open.  Your project manager needs to have a strong understanding of the various risks and tasks that your project will involve. An introduction to these is available from our opening tools. Based on vast experience and developed in line with the DfE’s pre-opening guidance, these tools will help you consider your project management tasks and schedules when preparing to open your free school.

If you are interested in working with NSN to deliver some of your pre-opening tasks, please contact preopen@newschoolsnetwork.org for more information. 

The DfE Free Schools Capital team have put together a customer journey booklet to provide an overview of the site and buildings process during pre-opening and beyond. The booklet includes information about site selection; capital approval; feasibility; procurement, design development, planning and contract for works; construction; handover and post-occupancy. The booklet also provides additional information about the roles and responsibilities of the free school capital project team.