Inside free schools | Examples of open schools in England

There are over 500 open free schools across England. They are in every region of the country and span all school types and age ranges. Find out more about some of the exciting innovations these schools are bringing to their local community.

Featured school

Case study: Michaela Community School

Michaela Community School is a non-denominational, non-fee paying, 11-18, mixed free school which opened in Wembley Park in September 2014.

Michaela brings the values and advantages of a private education to young people of all backgrounds by providing a highly academic curriculum and strong discipline. Traditional subjects are given additional lesson time through the longer school day to give pupils a better grounding for further study. In 2017, Michaela was judged Outstanding by Ofsted.

Pupils at Michaela Community School study a knowledge-based curriculum.

Pupils at Michaela Community School study a knowledge-based curriculum.

Free school story: XP School

Using its freedoms as a free school to pioneer an Expeditionary Learning style curriculum

Based on successful schools in the United States, this free school is bringing new ways of learning to the UK ...

Free school story: The Rise School

Offers pupils all the advantages of a special school, including access to behaviour specialists and health professionals

Offering the best of both mainstream and special education, The Rise School in west London aims to transform t...

Free school story: LIPA Primary School

Teaches pupils through a curriculum based around projects and events, rather than individual subjects

Right in the heart of one of the UK’s cultural capitals, LIPA Primary School is offering parents a very creati...

Free school story: The Island Free School

The Island Free School

Set up by a group of local parents and teachers, The Island Free School aims to raise standards on the Isle of...

Free school films

Cobham Free School is committed to building substantial and long-term partnerships with the local community

Free schools are created in response to local need and demand they so can be very different from each other; t...

Free school story: Cathedral Primary School

All pupils are provided with the opportunity to sing and play an instrument from a young age

Cathedral Primary School is already Bristol’s most popular primary school, receiving almost seven applications...

Free school story: Europa School UK

Pupils achieve a genuinely multi-cultural perspective by learning subjects through two languages

The Europa School offers pupils a European education and a unique chance to learn in another language all the ...

Free school story: Corby Technical School

Every Wednesday afternoon is dedicated to the study of STEM subjects and how they combine

Corby has a proud industrial heritage, the town used to be home to one of the biggest steel works in the count...

Free school story: Reach Academy Feltham

Providing all pupils with the skills, attitudes and academic qualifications to flourish and live happy and fulfilled lives

Reach Academy was set up by a group of teachers who wanted to transform opportunities for children living in a...

Free school story: Hatfield Community Free School

Pupils are encouraged to work as volunteers on improvement projects in school and in the wider community

Hatfield Community Free School was among the first free schools to be judged ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Free school story: Dixons Trinity Academy

All pupils are held to the same standards regardless of background and starting point

Dixons Trinity Academy is a secondary school which opened in 2012 in Bradford and is part of the Dixons Academ...

Free school story: City Gateway

Tailors support to the particular needs of pupils

City Gateway opened in September 2012, as one of the first group of Alternative Provision Free Schools in the ...

Free school story: Stone Soup Academy

Active encouragement of enterprise and the development of work skills

Stone Soup Academy opened in Nottingham in 2012, and is one of the first five alternative provision free schoo...

Free school story: Tyndale Community School

Each child’s progress is tracked through a portfolio of their work and added to as their time at the school continues

Named after William Tyndale, the Oxford scholar famous for translating the Bible into English, Tyndale Communi...

Free school story: Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form

Sir Isaac Newton, a 16-19 Free School that opened in September 2013, started out with its first 70 students in...

Free school story: Route 39 Academy

The Fellowship Programme brings local business people, artists and professionals into the school

Route 39 was started by a group of local parents in North Devon who were frustrated by the lack of a local sch...

Free school story: Dixons Music Primary

Dixons Music Primary is using music to raise standards of achievement in Bradford

Free school story: Cobham Free School

A commitment to building substantial and long-term partnerships with the local community

Cobham Free School is a primary school but will grow to include a secondary department from September 2014....

Free school story: Marine Academy Primary

A curriculum based around marine themes which relate to Plymouth’s history as a city of the sea

At the Marine Academy Primary in Plymouth, pupils learn through a curriculum built around the nautical heritag...

Free school story: Atherton Community School

Every year, students are required to raise £15 for a charity of their choice and complete nine hours of community service

Atherton Community School is a secondary located in Wigan which has a focus on community service and charitabl...

Free school story: Canary Wharf College

Outside the classroom, pupils receive three hours a week of specialist sports teaching and/or language study

Canary Wharf College was one of the first Free Schools to open in 2011, following its first inspection, the sc...