Apply for our support

When to apply

To apply to join our Development Programme you need to complete a written application and submit it in one of the 5 application rounds we will be holding this year:

 

Round 1 – submit your application between 31^st January and 1^st March

this application window is now closed

Round 2 – submit your application between 25^th April and 10^th May

Round 3 – submit between 14^th June and 28^th June

Round 4 – submit between 9^th September and 20^th September

Round 5 – submit between 28^th October and 8th November

 

How to apply

There are different application forms for Mainstream, Special and Alternative Provision Schools - if you’re not sure which of these applies to your school then please read our guide.

Before you apply for our support you will need to think about which of the DfE’s application windows you intend to apply in. Groups who intend to apply to the DfE sooner will be asked to demonstrate more developed plans to reflect the shorter timescale they will have to complete a full application to open a Free School.

There is a separate application form for previous Development Programme members and successful Free School applicants who are opening a Free School which will be of the same age range and school type as their previous proposals. This form is the same for all the application rounds.

If you are a previous Development Programme member or successful Free School applicant and you intend to open a different type of Free School or one that has a different age range then you should complete the same application form as any other group applying for our support.

The table below shows which of application forms you need to complete, depending on when you apply for our support and when you intend to apply to the DfE. You can access the application forms and the criteria that go through them through the links in the table:

Please ensure you fill out the Development Programme form associated with the DfE application round that you are intending to submit in. If you do not, then we will not be able to properly assess your application, because the information required for each form differs and the information required will not have been provided.

DfE Application round	NSN Round 2 May	NSN Round 3 June	NSN Round 4 September	NSN Round 5 November
September	Form 3	N/A	N/A	N/A
January	Form 1	Form 2	Form 3	N/A
Spring	Form 1	Form 1	Form 1	Form 2

 

 

We would strongly encourage you to apply for our support as soon as you are ready to. We have given dozens of groups our intensive Development Programme support and they say it makes a big difference. Applying will help you to focus on some of the key issues all Free School applicants must work through - and if you are unsuccessful you can reapply at a later stage. All groups will receive feedback on their plans when they apply.

 

Please note that if you have submitted an application to the Department for Education (DfE) to open a Free School in 2014, you should not apply for our support with this proposal in case you are unsuccessful. Please wait for the DfE's decision on your application and then consider applying for our support once you know this.

 

 If you have any questions about how to apply for our Development Progamme please read our FAQs or contact us at development@newschoolsnetwork.org.

 

Please note that though we expect our Development Programme to provide groups with significant additional support, it is not linked to the DfE's assessment process in any way.