The application process can seem daunting and sometimes it can be difficult to know where to start. As we’ve helped hundreds of groups submit successful applications, we know that there are 3 key ‘First Steps’ in the application process:
Your vision is the backbone of your application and will underpin every decision that you make, so it is vital that you have a clear vision before you proceed. You will also need to build a team that is able to translate this vision into a high quality application. Forming a strong team with a shared vision is the most important first step. We’ll go through each of the First Steps in greater detail on the following pages, highlight what help NSN can provide and point you to helpful resources so that you can work through these initial steps.
Once you have a clear vision and have begun to form your team and write the application, you can meet with our specialist advisers to further develop your plans.
Defining your vision
The education vision describes the rationale for, and purpose of, the Free School and is the foundation of a successful application. Your vision will provide the basis for all other decisions, including the way you organise your curriculum and your pupils, staffing, how you allocate the budget and what premises are appropriate. A clear vision is the foundation of a strong application – it will help to convince the DfE and the parents of prospective pupils of the value of your proposed school and why it’s needed in the community.
You should think of your vision as the short summary that will convince the DfE, Local Authorities and parents of pupils with the SEN for which your school will be designated that your school is a good thing. Spend time getting the wording right.
The vision has three main components:
- The rationale for your school in your area;
- A description of the key features of the school: what will make it distinctive; and
- Your definition of success
It can be difficult to know where to begin and how to organise your ideas into a cohesive summary. To help you get started, try exploring the questions below. In addressing these questions you’ll start to see elements of your vision taking shape.
- Why is a new school needed in your area?
- What do you think a good school would look like?
- What would make your school unique?
- What would your school achieve?
New Schools Network will allocate you a personal Adviser to work with you throughout the application process. Your Adviser will give you detailed feedback on your vision and any other documents you intend to submit with your application. If you’ve not yet been assigned an adviser, click here to get in touch with us to start the process.
Publications:
Section C of Detailed Application Guidance
Building your team
Successful Free School applications come from a diverse range of groups, from parents and teachers to academy chains and independent schools. However, to be approved by the DfE for opening you must be able to demonstrate that you have a team with the necessary skills and expertise required to set up and run a Free School. You’ll also need to prove that you have the time to commit to the project and be clear on the role your group will play in the ongoing operation of the school. On this page you’ll find guidance about what’s required in forming a strong team and how to choose a school model that best suits your vision for the school.
A strong team with the skills and commitment to deliver your vision is one of the foundations of a successful application. You’ll need to think carefully about who will be involved, the skills they would bring and where you’ll need to add capacity. You’ll also need to consider which, if any, elements of the application might be outsourced to other education providers or companies.
It’s important to be clear on your group’s expectations on long-term involvement in the running of the school. Some groups will want manage the school themselves and others prefer to plan their vision but engage with an education provider to run the school. There’s no ‘standard’ model, so it pays to think carefully about what arrangements best fit your vision. We’ll outline some common Free School models towards the end of this guidance.
The DfE specifies that you must have appropriate educational and financial expertise at minimum to submit a successful application. Educational expertise would normally be provided by an experienced school leader with a sound knowledge of delivering high-quality education of the type that you wish to provide in the Free School. Financial expertise might be provided by a Bursar or school Business Manager and financial or accounting professionals. You must show that these individual can commit sufficient time to the project, both for the application and then the process of setting up the Free School. You’ll also need to think about other skills relevant to the set up and running of a school, which could include:
- Setting up new businesses;
- Governing a school successfully;
- Human Resources;
- ICT;
- Property and Construction;
- Marketing; and
- Project management
Why you need relevant and appropriate senior leadership education expertise for the application:
- Developing a detailed educational vision
- Developing a curriculum that will deliver your vision
- Developing the basis for whole school policies around meeting the needs of all pupils, securing good behaviour and attendance and pastoral systems
- A strategic description of how the school will monitor and evaluate its success, and the systems which underpin this
- Developing a staffing structure which will deliver your curriculum plans and provide good value for money
Why you need knowledge of school finances for the application:
- Developing a balanced budget that delivers your educational vision within the funding available
- Providing detailed assumptions to support all calculations in the budget as well as describing the strategic approach underlying the financial plans
- Creating a sensitivity analysis to show how your school would deliver your vision but remain financially viable within the context of reduced funding