After submitting a written proposal, free school applicants may be invited to interview as part of the assessment process.    This resource provides some general guidance about what you should expect and what you can do to prepare. It is important to note that  each interview will be tailored to your proposal, and you should be prepared to answer questions on all aspects of your application.

An academy sponsor is an individual or organisation that has been approved by the Department for Education to support an underperforming academy or group of academies. This guidance provides an overview of the process of applying to become an approved academy sponsor.

Section D3 is where you outline the staffing structure that will deliver your eduacation plan, and describe your strategies for managing any reductions in funding whilst maintaining the quality of your offer. This resource provides some examples and advice specific to AP applicants.

This guide is intended to support free school groups with their approach to marketing and communications. 

If a school is going to be successful, it will need to be able to rely on a strong governance structure and a dedicated team of engaged and skilled people. Here we look in more detail about the role of school governors. We set out what is expected of governors, describe how their roles change as these schools are established and offer advice on who you should seek to appoint to the role.

This guidance explains how to set up a company limited by guarantee (CLG), which you will need to do as part of your application to open a free school. The company limited by guarantee will act as the legal body through which your group will apply to open the free school and eventually sign a funding agreement with the Secretary of State when final approval has been given for your free school to open. This document also discusses some of the important issues your group will need to consider as part of setting up the CLG.

All applicants are required to complete a finance plan demonstrating how the budget is intended to operate at their proposed school. This guidance provides an overview of some of the key considerations for groups propoising alternative provision free schools. 

These sections of your free school application look at the range of skills, experience and capacity of your team members. This resource offers guidance on how to complete sections F1 and F2  of the application to meet the DfE’s criteria effectively. It also discusses the range of skill sets required on your team and how to outline an effective narrative on managing this project.

Your overarching vision for the free school will form the basis for all other decisions about your school – from your education plan, to your staffing structure and financial template. This document explains more about how to construct your vision.