Free Schools in
2013
How to apply
Alternative provision Free
Schools
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Contents
Page
1. Things to know before you start
3
Vision 3
What is an alternative provision Free School?
4
Alternative provision Free Schools: law and policy
5
2. Getting started
6
Before you start
6
Organising your group
6
Establishing a company
7
Suitability of applicants
8
3. The application process explained
9
What happens when
9
4. How we assess applications
11
5. Preparing your application
13
6. Assessment criteria
14
Section A: Applicant details and declaration
14
Section B: Outline of the school
14
Section C: Education vision
15
Section D: Education plan
16
Section E: Evidence of demand and marketing
20
Section F: Capacity and capability
26
Section G: Initial costs and financial viability
30
Section H: Premises
35
Section I: Due diligence and other checks
38
7. Submitting your application
39
How, where and when to submit your application
39
8. Support for applicants
40
Annex A: Types of schools
42
Annex B: School funding overview
44
Annex C: Glossary of terms
46
Annex D: Application checklist
51
2
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1. Things to know before you start
Vision
1.1 We want to improve our education system so that children thrive and prosper,
whatever their background. We want parents to have a choice of more good
schools and to have the opportunity to open new schools where they want them.
1.2 The Free Schools programme is helping us realise this vision. In response to
local demand, new or existing providers can establish schools – faster than ever
before – schools that are supported by local parents and offer high standards. By
introducing increased competition, innovation and parental choice we aim to
raise standards across the school system.
1.3 Alternative provision Free Schools are part of the Free Schools programme
and will widen its reach to some of the most vulnerable children in our society.
Innovation and high standards of teaching and achievement are key aims of the
introduction of alternative provision Free Schools.
1.4 Parents cannot choose to send their child to an alternative provision Free
School. Instead, local authorities, schools and Academies act as
‘commissioners’, referring pupils of compulsory school age
1 to alternative
provision. The introduction of alternative provision Free Schools will help to
ensure that there is more high quality provision available and that commissioners
have more choice about which alternative provision is suitable for pupils.
1.5 The whole point of the Free Schools policy is that it should encourage
innovation and be driven by the vision and passion of those proposing a school.
There are four main categories of Free School: mainstream, 16–19, special and
alternative provision. You can find out more about the characteristics of these
types of school and how to apply if your vision does not fit precisely with them in
Annex A.
1.6 This guidance is for people who would like to establish an alternative
provision Free School. If you are interested in applying to set up a mainstream,
16-19 or a special Free School, you should refer to the specific guidance
available
here. You can also find out how to apply to establish a University
Technical College or Studio School
here. This guidance contains a number of
technical terms and you may find it useful to refer to the glossary of terms
provided in
Annex C.
1 Pupils who are aged 4-15 at the start of the school year.
3
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What is an alternative provision Free School?
1.7 Alternative provision Free Schools are all-ability, state funded schools,
outside of local authority control.
1.8
Alternative provision Free Schools will cater principally for children of
compulsory school age who, by reason of illness, exclusion from school or
otherwise, may not otherwise receive suitable education. They may also offer
alternative provision for 16-19 year olds. Children who are of compulsory school
age and some 16-19 year old pupils will be referred by local authorities, schools
and Academies (your ‘commissioners’). The ways in which they can do this are
set out on the table on page 21.
1.9 Your commissioners will then directly pay your Free School a rate per pupil.
They can also contract with you for a number of places rather than paying on a
per pupil basis. Pupils who are 16-19 years old (not compulsory school age)
may also apply in the same way as they would to mainstream 16-19 provision,
and your school would receive the same basic per pupil funding as local authority
(LA) maintained schools for these pupils
2.
1.10 Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Education Bill currently before
Parliament will establish alternative provision Free Schools. They will be able to
offer full and/or part time provision and there will be no explicit requirement on
them to offer a broad and balanced curriculum.
1.11 You should make it clear in your application if you intend to offer part time
provision or a curriculum that is not broad and balanced. If you wish to offer part
time provision each pupil must still receive a full time education; this may be
provided by several different institutions. It is the responsibility of the
commissioner to ensure that a child receives a full time education, but you will
need to work with them to achieve this. For pupils of compulsory school age, if
you wish to offer a curriculum that is not broad and balanced you must offer at
least the functional elements of English, maths and ICT as appropriate to the
child’s age and ability.
1.12 In line with the Free School programme’s aim to raise standards by
encouraging new providers to enter state education, the Department for
Education is primarily looking for alternative provision applicants to propose new
schools.
1.13 It is important that you understand the funding mechanisms for alternative
provision Free Schools. These are set out in Annex B.
2 The approach to and levels of Free Schools funding are currently being reviewed. The funding
that schools will receive from 2012/13 onwards has not yet been agree
d. Please refer to Annex
B for further information.
4
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Alternative provision Free Schools: law and policy
1.14 Alternative provision Free Schools are a new type of school. The legislative
framework they will operate within has not yet been finalised, and will be subject
to parliamentary approval in due course. Mainstream Free Schools are subject
to the regulatory framework which applies to independent schools.
Consideration is currently being given to which of these regulations will apply to
alternative provision Free Schools. You can find the most recent regulations, the
Education (Independent School Standards) (England) Regulations 2010, which
are currently the subject of parliamentary approval
here.
1.15 Each Free School will enter into a contract with the Secretary of State. This
contract, termed the ‘funding agreement’
3, sets out the arrangements and
standards by which the Free School must be run. The model documents can be
found here. The model funding agreement for alternative provision Free Schools
will be available on our website in due course.
1.16 You should be aware of the following key requirements. Alternative
provision Free Schools must:
• be principally concerned with providing full-time or part-time education for
children of compulsory school age who, by reason of illness, exclusion
from school or otherwise, may not otherwise receive suitable education for
any period (subject to Parliamentary approval of the Education Bill);
• admit children of compulsory school age by referral from local authorities,
schools and Academies using existing referral powers or duties; and
• have a majority of pupils who are of compulsory school age. You may
also have some 16-19 year old pupils, but they must be fewer than 50% of
your pupils. Pupils aged 16-19 can either be admitted by referral from
local authorities, schools and Academies or apply in the same way as they
would to mainstream 16-19 provision.
1.17 The admissions arrangements for alternative provision Free Schools are set
out in more detail in
Section E.
1.18 Alternative provision Free Schools cannot be designated with a religious
character. Applicants may seek to establish a distinct religious ethos which is
reflected within the vision and values of the school, but will not be able to recruit
staff or pupils by reference to faith.
1.19 At the time of publication of this document, the Secretary of State’s
behaviour adviser, Charlie Taylor, is conducting a review of alternative provision,
which may lead to certain changes within the sector. We will publicise any such
changes through the New Schools Network and our website, and you may wish
to check both before submitting your application.
3 For simplicity we use ‘funding agreement’ throughout the application documents to refer to the
formal legal agreement between the Academy Trust and the Secretary of State. In addition to the
funding agreement the law allows the Secretary of State to fund Academies (including Free
Schools) by payment of grant.
5
2. Getting started
Before you start
2.1 Alternative provision Free Schools can be set up by any suitable
organisations or groups, such as parents, teachers or community groups.
Existing providers are also able to apply to become alternative provision Free
Schools. Existing state maintained schools, including Academies, can also apply
to establish a new alternative provision Free School.
2.2 Setting up a school requires a lot of time, commitment and determination.
Before you start your application, you should think about:
• the type of school you want to establish, including why this is different to
existing provision;
• the law and policy as they apply to alternative provision Free Schools;
• the potential demand in your area for the particular school you want to set
up;
• potential sites for the alternative provision Free School;
• the level of involvement you want to have in setting up the school;
• the relevant skills and experience you have to set up and run an
alternative provision Free School; and
• whether you need to access any additional expertise and how you might
secure this.
2.3 The New Schools Network is an independent charity which receives funding
from the Department for Education to provide free advice and support to groups
interested in applying to set up Free Schools. We strongly recommend that you
contact them before you subm
it your application. Click here for a direct link to
their website.
Organising your group
2.4 Applicant groups will need to look at what needs to be done, both on a short
term basis (submitting the full application and, if approved, the huge job of
preparing for the school to open) and long term basis (strategic running of the
school as well as day-to-day management). Groups will then want to organise
themselves based on the skills, experience and time commitment of individual
members so that the group is deployed and governed in the most effective way.
2.5 Each alternative provision Free School must be underpinned by strong
governance arrangements and established on a solid legal footing. Behind any
Free School is a company, referred to as an Academy Trust, constituted
specifically for the purpose of establishing and running a school. This must be
set up as a company limited by guarantee to protect the individuals who establish
it by limiting their personal liabilities.
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Establishing a company 2.6 A company is made up of members and directors. Neither members nor
directors are paid for their work in this role.
The members of a company are its
legal owners and have a strategic role in running the school and ultimate control
over the company. When setting up your company you are required to have at
least three founding members but you can have more. Your group will need to
decide who the members of the company will be. The members appoint the
directors of the company. When setting up your company, the members are
required to appoint at least one director. This may be one of the members
themselves.
2.7
Directors will be responsible for the day-to-day management and
governance of the school. In other words your directors will be the governors of
your school and where we refer to governors and governing bodies in this
guidance, we are talking about your company directors.
2.8 Company members are not always directors, but in some cases will
undertake both roles. We would expect most of the directors not to be members
of the company as well because it is important to have clear lines of
accountability between the directors and the members.
2.9
You will also need to complete the relevant paperwork to establish your
company limited by guarantee. As founding members you need to sign a legal
document known as the memorandum of association. You also need to
complete the articles of association, which set out the purpose of the company
and the rules that govern it. Alternative provision Free Schools should use the
Department for Education’s alternative provision model memorandum and
articles of association which can be found
here. If your company is formed using
our model memorandum and articles of association it will also be a charity at the
point that the articles are adopted. The company’s Directors will then also be its
trustees4 for charity law purposes.
2.10 You then need to submit these completed documents along with an
application to register a company and the relevant fee to Companies House.
Further information on what you need to do to set up a company is available
here
on the Companies House website. Please note that we may request to see your
memorandum and articles of association at a later date.
2.11 If you have previously established a company limited by guarantee for the
purpose of running a school (and the company’s object specifically reflects this)
you can use this company rather than establish another. Some amendments
might be required later to the company’s articles of association bringing them in
line with our model. Where you have previously established a company limited
by guarantee for purposes other than running a school (even if it is for some
other educational purpose), you need to establish a new company using our
model documents.
4 There is guidance issued by the Charity Commission on the role and duties of charity Trustees:
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc3.aspx
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2.12 The individuals behind any alternative provision Free School application are
crucial to its success. You will want to consider who forms your group and
ensure that you are organised in an effective and appropriate way. You should
have arrangements in place to ensure that any potential conflicts of interest are
avoided. In the case of Free Schools, conflicts of interest could include members
of groups being related to each other or principals setting their own salaries (e.g.
if they are also a director of the Academy Trust) but we encourage you to think
widely about any possible conflicts of interest that you may face. It is possible for
members of groups involved in establishing an alternative provision Free School
to be employed later at the school. However, if this is your intention, we would
expect you to demonstrate how you will avoid a conflict of interest, including
through fair and transparent recruitment processes.
2.13 Just as every alternative provision Free School application will be different,
the make up of applicant groups will be different. There is no right or wrong
model for the composition of a group. Each group will want to ensure that it has
the right balance of skills and experience to deliver its vision. The New Schools
Network will be able to advise you on the implications of each model for you and
the kinds of skills and expertise required.
Suitability of applicants
2.14 The Secretary of State will seek to ensure that only suitable persons are
permitted to establish publicly funded alternative provision Free Schools. He will
consider each application on its merits, and take into account all matters relevant
to the application. He will reject any applications put forward by organisations
which advocate violence or other illegal activities or by individuals associated
with such organisations. In order to be approved, applications will need to
demonstrate that they would support UK democratic values including respect for
the basis on which UK laws are made and applied; respect for democracy;
support for individual liberties within the law; and mutual tolerance and respect.
8
3. The application process explained
Free School Application Process
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
July August
Assessment
Interview
Application
We assess
Shortlisted
application forms
applicants are
You complete the Free
against published
invited for
School application form.
Application
criteria.
interview.
Successful
New process
window
applicants
launched
There is help available
13 – 24 February
Due diligence
announced
November
from New Schools
checks are
summer 2012
Network to assist you if
conducted.
you wish.
What happens when
Preparing and submitting your application
3.1 This application process is primarily for those wanting to set up a school
which will open in 2013. We will only consider 2014 applications on an
exceptional basis where a strong case is made for the need for an extended lead
time.
3.2 Completed applications
must be submitted to us between 9.00 am on 13th
February and 6.00 pm on 24th February. Please note that any applications
received outside these times will not be considered.
3.3 It is important that you read this guidance carefully before starting your
application to make sure you understand what you need to do and the
information that you must provide.
Assessment of your application
3.4 We will assess your application against the requirements and criteria set out
in this guidance. You must ensure that you provide all the information that we
have asked for.
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3.5 All applications will:
• be judged against the criteria set out in this guidance, other alternative
provision Free School applications and a range of contextual factors.
Chapter 4 provides further information about the assessment process;
and
• be subject to due diligence checks. This means we will use the personal
information you provide to check your suitability to set up an alternative
provision Free School.
Interviews
3.6 If your application is assessed as one of the strongest, we will invite your
group to an interview. We will provide further information on interview dates in
due course.
3.7 If you are an existing provider, we may wish to visit your current provision as
part of the interview process. If this is the case, the Department for Education
will contact you to arrange this.
Final approval and decisions
3.8 We hope to let everyone know the outcome of their application, successful or
otherwise, in summer 2012.
3.9 If the Secretary of State decides your application should progress you will be
provided with a dedicated project lead from the Department for Education, along
with support to help secure a site and open your school.
3.10 There will be a significant amount of work to complete between approving
your alternative provision Free School application and your alternative provision
Free School actually opening. You should therefore be clear that members of
your group are able to commit themselves fully to the time necessary to do this.
During this period you may have support to hire a principal designate and other
senior staff, as well as project management support. The key requirement for you
is to provide the oversight of those people working full-time.
3.11 Assuming you make good progress after your application is approved, the
Secretary of State will then decide whether to enter into a funding agreement
with you.
Appeals
3.12 Decisions by the Secretary of State are final and there will be no formal
appeals process.
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4. How we assess applications
4.1 Your application will be assessed in the following ways:
•
against the criteria set out in Chapter 6 of this guidance;
• against other alternative provision Free School applications; and
• against a range of contextual factors including value for money.
4.2 Applications will also be subject to due diligence and other checks. You can
find out more informati
on about these checks in Chapter 6 of this guidance.
4.3 In assessing all applications, we will take into account a wide set of
contextual factors, including, but not limited to:
• the age range of the alternative provision Free School;
• overall cost;
• value for money;
• the Secretary of State’s duty to consider equality issues
5 related to the
proposed alternative provision Free School;
• the quality and type of other alternative provision in the local area;
• the level of deprivation in the community that it serves;
• the need for more alternative provision places in the area;
• the type of alternative provision you are proposing; and
• the recent track record, including on education and finance, of applicants
who run existing alternative provision.
4.4 For applications from existing providers wishing to become alternative
provision Free Schools, we will also consider the following factors:
• the popularity of the provision as our expectation will be that the provision
is at or near maximum capacity in terms of pupil numbers; and
• whether the provision will be expanded and what extra benefits there will
be for pupils as a consequence of becoming an alternative provision Free
School.
4.5 In addition, existing providers wishing to become alternative provision Free
Schools must meet all of the following requirements:
• strong recommendations from their existing commissioners which confirm
that the existing provision is of a high quality and focused on the learning
and achievement of pupils;
• registration as an independent school (for existing providers which offer
full time education for five or more pupils of compulsory school age or one
or more such pupils with a statement of special educational needs (SEN)
5
Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010
11
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or who is in public care, within the meaning of Section 22 of the Children
Act 1989).
Existing providers that are registered as an independent school:
• must have no significant outstanding issues on compliance in their most
recent inspection report;
• must provide a link to their most recent inspection report with their
application;
Schools inspected by Ofsted, the Bridge Schools Inspectorate or the
School Inspection Service should have achieved a judgement of good or
better in the following areas:
o the quality of education;
o safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety; and
o promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of
pupils.
Schools inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate should have
achieved a judgement of good or better in the following areas:
o the quality of academic and other achievements;
o the contribution of curricular and extra-curricular provision;
o the contribution of teaching;
o the quality of the pupils’ personal development;
o the contributions of arrangements for welfare, health and safety;
o the effectiveness of governance, leadership and management.
o the quality of education;
o safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety; and
o promoting the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of
pupils.
and
• must be able to demonstrate
6 that they have a good track record of
managing their accounts.
6
See criterion G6 for further details.
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5. Preparing your application
5.1 An alternative provision Free School application is made up of nine sections
as follows:
•
Section A: Applicant details and declaration
•
Section B: Outline of the school
•
Section C: Education vision
•
Section D: Education plan
•
Section E: Evidence of demand and marketing
•
Section F: Capacity and capability
•
Section G: Initial costs and financial viability
•
Section H: Premises
•
Section I: Due diligence and other checks
5.2 In
Sections A-H, we are asking you to tell us about you and the school you
want to establish. We have provided a form
here for you to use.
5.3
Section G also requires you to submit two financial plans. Both financial
plans should be filled out using the same template but using different
assumptions. The first financial plan should be developed on the basis that all the
pupil places in your school will be filled. The second financial plan must show
how you would manage your budget and remain financially viable if you are
unable to achieve the levels of income you assumed in the first scenario (e.g. if
you are unable to recruit the number of pupils you expect).
5.4
Section I is about your suitability to run an alternative provision Free School.
All members of the company must each fill out a copy of the form available
here. Directors of the company, where they have been appointed, must also fill out this
form.
5.5 Existing providers which are registered as independent schools must include
a link to their latest inspection report. They must also submit their last two years’
audited accounts with their application, or supply alternative evidence of financial
viability where the school has not been open long enough to have two years’
worth of audited accounts.
5.6 You need to submit all of this information in order for your application to be
assessed. The next chapter provides further information on what we are looking
for in each section, how you should provide it and the criteria we will use to
assess your application.
Chapter 7 provides further detail about how, when and
where to submit your alternative provision Free School application.
13
6. Assessment criteria
6.1 You must complete all nine sections of your application in order for it to be
considered. We will use the criteria outlined in this chapter to assess your
application. Under each criterion we have included a description of what you
should include in your application.
Section A: Applicant details and declaration
6.2 This section seeks basic information about applicants, including the main
contact details of the lead applicant and the company limited by guarantee that
has been formed and registered with Companies House (also referred to as an
Academy Trust). It also seeks information on any related organisations that have
links with the applicant group as well as information from applicants who are
existing education providers.
6.3 As companies limited by guarantee, certain details will be publicly available
on the Companies House website. However, the personal information you
provide in
Section A will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act
1998.
Data protection
The personal data you provide us with will be used to consider your application to
set up a Free School and will not be used for other purposes. For the purposes
of the Data Protection Act, the Department for Education is the data controller for
this personal information and for ensuring that it is processed in accordance with
the terms of the Act. The Department will hold all personal information you
supply securely and will only make it available to those who need to see it as part
of the Free School application process. All personal information supplied in
these forms will only be retained for as long as it is needed for this process.
6.4 There are no assessment criteria for this section.
Section B: Outline of the school
6.5 This section seeks key details on the type of alternative provision Free
School that is being proposed, including its name, planned yearly intakes and the
planned number of pupils when the school is at full capacity.
6.6 There are no assessment criteria for this section.
14
Section C: Education vision
6.7 The education vision should describe why you are setting up this particular
alternative provision Free School in this area, and its core features and ethos.
This is your opportunity to tell us in your own words about the overarching vision
for your school and how it informs your education plan.
6.8 We will be using one criterion to assess this section of your application.
C1: Provide a clearly focused, coherent vision that underpins
the application with a compelling rationale for establishing the
school.
You must:
• set out clearly why you are seeking to establish your alternative provision
Free School. Please explain the key features of your school, including
the proposed age range, curriculum, location and approach to teaching
and learning;
• identify what will make the school distinctive in its vision and ethos and
how this has informed the education plan;
• set out your aspirations for the educational achievement of individual
pupils (including their preparedness for everyday adult life), and the
school as a whole and why these targets are appropriate;
• explain how the particular ethos of the school will be reflected in its
curriculum; and
• explain how your group’s religious beliefs and affiliations will be reflected
in, or influence, the curriculum if you are applying to set up an alternative
provision Free School with a religious ethos.
In preparing your application it is important to note that:
• creationism, intelligent design and similar ideas must not be taught as
valid scientific theories.
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Section D: Education plan
6.9 This is the heart of your application. Your education plan must explain how
your school will achieve its education vision. You should note that
Section D in
the application form includes two parts for you to fill out. Part 1 asks you to fill out
a table showing how your school will grow over time to full capacity. Part 2 is
where you should provide the information we are seeking in relation to criteria
below. The education plan should describe the structure of your school and the
experience that pupils will have there. You should set out your aspirations for
pupil achievement, how you aim to meet these and how the school will evaluate
performance, both of individual pupils and the school as a whole. You should set
out how you will address pupils’ behavioural or other challenges, with a view to
them successfully returning to mainstream school or to further education, training
or employment.
6.10 We will be using six criteria to assess this part of your application.
6.11 Strong applications from existing providers will normally set out how they
will enhance the educational offer for pupils, so that pupil learning and
achievement improves as a consequence of the provider becoming an alternative
provision Free School.
D1: Set out a viable curriculum plan with appropriate focus on
core areas of learning.
You must:
• describe the curriculum in detail, setting out how it will meet the different
needs and interests of all pupils including, for secondary students, the range
of qualifications which might be offered. You should confirm whether you
will offer a broad and balanced
7 curriculum, why your curriculum is
appropriate for the children in your provision and how you will meet their
educational requirements, including how you will prepare pupils to return
successfully to age appropriate mainstream education or continue in
education, employment or training; and
• if applicable, for children who attend your provision part-time, set out how
you will work with the other provider(s) or school(s) they attend to ensure
that they receive an appropriate and integrated curriculum.
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
7 In order to be considered broadly based and balanced the curriculum must (a) promote the
spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils at the school and of society,
and (b) prepare pupils at the school for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later
life. For primary schools, a broad and balanced curriculum should include the core subjects of
English, mathematics and science and will need to support pupil progression to secondary
education. For secondary schools, a broad and balanced curriculum should include, but not be
limited to, the core subjects of English, mathematics and science;
16
• alternative provision Free Schools do not have to offer a broad and balanced
curriculum, but you must offer age and ability appropriate functional English,
maths and ICT as a minimum for children of compulsory school age;
• good applications will set out a coherent curriculum plan, linked to the
proposed financial plans, which demonstrates a good understanding of the
expected pupil population, shows a high level of ambition in meeting its
needs and is focused on the learning and achievement of those pupils; and
• good applications will specifically address how the curriculum and its
delivery will improve pupil outcomes on a range of measures.
D2: Provide a coherent and feasible school timetable and
calendar.
You must:
•
set out expectations around the length of the school day, term and year.
This should include the number and length of lessons each day and your
plans for extended hours and should make a clear distinction between
compulsory and optional activities;
•
specify whether pupils will attend full-time or part-time and whether they will
all have the same school day and week. If not, set out how you will manage
the different attendance patterns within the school;
•
set out how you will integrate and cater for pupils with varying referral
lengths: from short placements to longer ones; and
•
explain how pupils will be organised, for example through year groups, tutor
groups or other class structures and how this links with and supports the
education vision.
D3: Set out a clear strategy for ensuring that the needs of
pupils with differing abilities are met.
You must:
• demonstrate an awareness of the varying needs of individual pupils and
have an effective strategy for meeting them, including supporting those who
need it and stretching the most able (gifted and talented pupils);
• show how you will use ICT, other agencies and partners’ resources to
support the learning and achievement of pupils of varying abilities and
needs;
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• describe the strategies you will use to overcome barriers to learning and
achievement such as pupils’ behaviour or other factors that have kept them
out of mainstream schools;
• set out how you will prepare pupils to successfully return to mainstream
schools or to enter further education, training or employment;
• set out your approach to supporting disabled pupils and pupils with special
educational needs, who may or may not have a statement; and
• set out how you will have regard to the Special Educational Needs Code of
Practice
8.
D4: Tell us how your definitions and measures of success will
deliver your aspirations for pupil achievement.
You must:
• outline the targets that are proposed, why these are suitable to measure the
delivery of your education vision, and what your strategy will be to achieve
these;
• describe the proposed success measures for individual pupils and the whole
school and how these will be monitored, reviewed and reported; and
• set out plans to develop pupil assessment and tracking systems.
D5: Describe how your approach to behaviour management,
pupil wellbeing and attendance will improve pupil outcomes.
You must:
• set out detailed strategies for promoting good behaviour and attendance that
are appropriate for your pupils;
• describe how you will promote pupil wellbeing, including through pastoral
care and strategies for tackling bullying;
• describe how you will ensure that pupils are kept safe and how you will
comply with the relevant safeguarding requirements
9; and
• describe how these strategies are informed by your vision and linked to
raising standards and educational outcomes.
8
www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DfES%200581%202001#d
ownloadableparts
9
https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationdetail/page1/dfes-04217-2006
18
D6: Demonstrate your understanding of the local community
and its needs, and your plans for sharing facilities with other
schools and the wider community.
You must:
• demonstrate a good understanding of the community your pupil intake will
come from and show how the education plan reflects that while retaining
high expectations for pupil achievement;
• describe any plans you have for working with other schools, educational
establishments or the wider community; and
• set out how you will promote good community relations.
19
Section E: Evidence of demand and marketing
6.12 In this section we are looking for evidence that commissioners would refer
children to your school and, if appropriate, that 16-19 year old pupils would apply
to your school. You should note that Section E in the application form we have
provided includes two parts for you to fill in. Part 1 asks you to fill in a table
showing the number of full-time equivalent pupils you intend to have in each key
stage and the demand you have established. Part 2 is where you should provide
the information we are seeking in relation to referrals, admissions for 16-19 year
olds and demand for your school from commissioners and students. The more
evidence you can provide to show you have demand for the number of pupil
places you need to fill in the first years of the school being open, the better. You
must show that the demand is for your specific school and you must have
engaged directly with the local authorities, schools, Academies and community
you will be serving.
6.13 As set out in the Education Bill currently before Parliament, alternative
provision Free Schools must be principally concerned with providing full-time or
part-time education for children of compulsory school age who, by reason of
illness, exclusion from school or otherwise, may not otherwise receive suitable
education for any period. This means that the majority of your children (over
50%) must be of compulsory school age (i.e. 5-16). You may also have some
16-19 year old pupils, but they must be fewer than 50% of your pupils.
6.14 Children of compulsory school age can only be admitted to an alternative
provision Free School by being referred from local authorities, schools and
Academies using their existing referral powers or duties (please see table on
page 21 for details). 16-19 year old pupils may also be referred by local
authorities, schools and Academies in some circumstances but can also apply to
the alternative provision Free School themselves in the same way as they would
for mainstream 16-19 provision.
6.15 The table on the next page sets out the powers and duties which local
authorities, schools and Academies have to refer children to alternative provision.
6.16 We will be using four criteria to assess this part of your application.
20
link to page 21 link to page 21
Circumstances
Commissioner
Type of referral
(responsible for
referring the
pupil and paying
the per pupil fee)
Child is
Local authority
10
• Full-time, unless there are medical
permanently
reasons why this would not be
excluded or cannot
appropriate (full-time provision can be
attend mainstream
made up of part-time provision from
education e.g.
two or more providers).
because of illness
• Long term or short term - dependent
on local authority view on whether
reintegration is appropriate and
bearing in mind the child’s right to
suitable and full-time education.
• Education must start by the sixth day
of permanent exclusion but can start
earlier.
Child has a fixed
Academy or
• Full-time.
period exclusion
school
• Short term – child can only be
excluded on a fixed period basis for a
maximum of 45 (school) days in an
academic year.
• Education must start by the sixth day
of a fixed period exclusion but can
start earlier.
Child’s behaviour
Academy
11 or
• Full-time or part-time (but if part-time,
needs
school
child must still receive full-time
improvement, for
education, which can be made up of
example to prevent
part-time provision from two or more
permanent
providers, one of which may be their
exclusion
Academy or school).
• Short or mid term – referral cannot
last beyond the end of the academic
year in which it is made and must be
reviewed at least every 30 days by
the governing body of the referring
school.
10 Except in areas where a new approach to exclusions is being trialled, under which schools take
responsibility for permanently excluded pupils. Your local authority will be able to confirm if it is
taking part in this trial.
11 Academies have the power to refer pupils to off-site provision. This power comes from their
general powers to advance education (which comes from the object of the memorandum and
articles of the Academy Trust). Though these placements are not covered by the same
legislative safeguards that apply to pupils referred by maintained schools, best practice would be
to establish relationships with your referring Academies so that they make referrals on the same
basis and have regard to the appropriate safeguards (which are set out in brief in the third
column).
21
link to page 22
E1: Clearly state your referral process (for children of
compulsory school age and, if appropriate, 16-19 year olds),
setting out how you will effectively manage referrals and
engagement with your commissioners throughout the
academic year. Clearly state your other admissions
arrangements, if any, for 16-19 year olds. Describe how both
processes will ensure that your alternative provision Free
School is accessed by your target group of pupils.
You must:
• set out how you will manage the referral
12 process for those local authorities,
schools and Academies that will refer children to you to ensure ongoing
referrals once open and that appropriate pupils access your provision;
• set out how you will establish and maintain links with your commissioners to
ensure that you receive information about the pupils’ needs and attainment
levels before they are referred and how you will then work with each
commissioner to keep them informed of the pupil’s progress and readiness
for reintegration;
• specify how you will manage a potentially high in-year turnover of pupils; and
• if appropriate, set out your admissions policy for any 16-19 year old pupils
which will apply in the same way as they would to mainstream 16-19
provision (rather than through commissioner referrals). This should include
the criteria to be used to prioritise places if your school is over subscribed.
You must describe how your admissions policy will be fair and transparent.
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
• while many children with special educational needs access alternative
provision, children with statements of special educational needs should not
normally be educated by such providers on a long-term basis.
12 The referral powers and duties which Academies, schools and local authorities have, and the
restrictions on their use, are set out in the table on page 21. These are the only ways in which
children of compulsory school age (5-16) may be admitted to alternative provision and may also
be used to refer 16-19 year old pupils
22
link to page 30
E2: Provide evidence of demand from commissioners that they
would make referrals to your alternative provision Free School
for pupils of compulsory school age and, if appropriate,
students aged 16-19 and would pay the per pupil rates you
intend to charge.
You must:
• set out what you consider to be your steady state for pupil numbers over the
course of an academic year, based on full-time equivalents (FTE).
Alternative provision Free Schools should reach their steady state for pupil
numbers by the beginning of their fourth year at the latest. Steady state for
alternative provision Free Schools is unlikely to be 100% capacity for the full
academic year due to the nature of alternative provision;
• provide information that clearly shows the level of demand from your
commissioners (local authorities, schools and Academies). Evidence should
include agreements from them that they would be willing to refer children to
your provision and to pay the costs of that referral (which you can set).
Please ensure that the evidence you have collected is set out in terms of full-
time equivalent (FTE) places over the academic year. For example if a
commissioner anticipates needing to refer 3 children full time for a term
each, that would count as evidence of 1 FTE referral over the academic
year; and
• consider providing wider demographic data and evidence about local need in
the area to add context to your evidence from commissioners.
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
• the more evidence you can provide to show you have demand from
commissioners for the number of pupil places you need to fill the better. You
should provide this evidence for at least the first year. Strong applications
will be able to demonstrate evidence of demand for future years as well;
• demand is critical because a school’s income is dependent on pupil
numbers. For
Section G you will need to fill in a financial template to show
how you would amend your budget if your school were not completely full;
• it is helpful for us to know where in your area the demand for your school is
coming from. You can do this by supplying a map or diagram that shows the
location of your proposed school site; and
• we will ask you for updated evidence of demand if we invite you to interview
so you should continue to engage with your commissioners and collect
information on an ongoing basis.
23
link to page 1
E3: For schools providing alternative provision for 16-19 year
olds, provide evidence of demand from students of the relevant
age that they would apply to your alternative provision Free
School in each of your first two years of operation.
You must:
• provide information that clearly shows the number of students that want to
apply to your particular school. You must ask students who could
realistically apply to your school. You will need to have in mind your stated
admissions policy, the age range on offer and where your site will be.
Students must be of the relevant age to fill the year groups on offer when
your school opens and in its second year of operation. For example, you will
need to show evidence of demand from pupils who will be:
i)
turning seventeen in the 2013/2014 academic year to fill your Year
12 class in September 2013; and
ii)
turning seventeen in the 2014/15 academic year to fill your Year
12 class in September 2014.
• tell us the exact questions that you asked in your survey and provide a
summary of responses. These questions should be specific to your school
and its proposed curriculum and ethos. Examples of survey questions that
demonstrate this include, “Do you support the ethos and objectives of X
school?” and “Will this school be your first choice for 16-19 provision?”;
• provide a template of the survey form you asked prospective students to
complete; and
• tell us how you have engaged directly with the community. This could be
through public meetings, attendance at community events, discussions with
local schools, students or parents, handing out leaflets in your local area etc.
You must not:
• send in copies of individually completed survey forms.
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
• the more evidence you can provide to show you have demand for the
number of pupil places you need to fill in the first two years, the better;
• demand is critical because a school’s income is dependent on pupil
numbers. For
Section G you will need to fill in a financial template to show
how you would amend your budget if your school were not completely full;
• it is helpful for us to know where in your area the demand for your school is
coming from. You can do this by supplying a map or diagram that shows the
location of students who have expressed a preference for the school in
relation to the school’s proposed site; and
• we will ask you for updated evidence of demand if we invite you to interview
so you should continue to engage with your community and collect
information on an ongoing basis.
24
E4: Demonstrate how you intend to engage with the wider
community, including, where relevant, children from a range of
backgrounds, faiths and abilities. Strong applications from
existing providers will normally include evidence of demand to
support an expansion in pupil numbers.
You must:
• demonstrate how you have made or plan to make the school known and
attractive to a number of commissioners and, if applicable, 16-19 year olds;
• show clearly how your approach reflects the requirements of specific
commissioners;
• demonstrate a good understanding of the community your pupil intake will
come from and show how the education plan takes this into account;
• set out how your school will work with other partners or the wider
community, for instance delivering outreach support on behaviour to other
local Academies and schools;
• tell us if you are planning to use the school as a resource for the wider
community (e.g. hiring out premises) and, if so, how will this be managed;
and
• set out how you will promote good community relations.
If you are proposing a school with a religious ethos, you should:
• show how the school will meet the needs of other faiths and none. You
should consider uniform, the school meals you will provide and whether
there will be dietary requirements; and
• demonstrate how you have actively engaged with commissioners and, if
applicable, 16-19 year olds of other faiths and none in establishing demand
for your school.
If you are an existing provider, you should;
• demonstrate the appeal of the alternative provision Free School to
commissioners who do not currently refer pupils to you;
• demonstrate the demand from existing commissioners for additional places;
and
• present separate evidence of demand from current and prospective
commissioners.
25
link to page 6 link to page 26 link to page 27 link to page 27
Section F: Capacity and capability
6.17 You must demonstrate to us that your group has the capacity and capability
to set up
and run an alternative provision Free School. You must have access to
appropriate educational, financial and other expertise either within your group
or by procuring additional support. If your application is approved, we will be able
to support you, if required, to secure additional expertise that you may need in
the implementation phase, such as project management, human resources, ICT
and sites and property/construction.
6.18 Before submitting an application for an alternative provision Free School,
you
must have established a company limited by guarantee with members and
directors appropriately skilled to discharge their duties and willing to do so
without payment. This is explained in more detail in
Chapter 2 of this guidance.
6.19 We will be using six criteria to assess this section of your application. In
providing responses to criteria F1,
F2 and F3 set out below, it is important to note
that:
• expertise could come from within your group or through forming a voluntary
partnership with an organisation or individual(s) with a successful educational
track record or by entering into a commercial contract with such an
organisation or individual(s);
• there is no guarantee that your application will be successful. Therefore you
must not enter into any contracts in the expectation of government funding.
In your application you should tell us what contractual arrangements, if any,
you would like to have in place should your application be approved; and
• public procurement regulations apply to expenditure of public money and
require that commercial contracts must be let competitively. Therefore, there
can be
no guarantee that organisations or individuals offering support in the
preparation of applications will be offered contracts to continue providing such
support should the application be approved.
F1: Show how you will access appropriate and sufficient
educational expertise to deliver your vision.
You must:
• show that you have identified the resources, people and skills that you will
need to set up and operate a school, including experience or understanding
of leading and teaching in high quality alternative provision;
• confirm time commitments to the project from relevant individuals; and
• set out clear and detailed plans for identifying and securing any necessary
educational expertise currently missing from your group.
26
F2: Show how you will access appropriate and sufficient
financial expertise to manage your alternative provision Free
School budget.
You must:
• show that you have identified the resources, people and skills that you will
need to set up arrangements for ,and undertake the financial management
of, a school;
• confirm time commitments to the project from relevant individuals; and
• set out clear and detailed plans for identifying and securing any necessary
financial expertise, including an understanding of school budgets, currently
missing from your group.
F3: Show how you will access other relevant expertise to
manage the opening and operation of your school.
You must:
• provide details of your group, including the members of the company, and
their particular areas of experience and expertise;
• show that your group has identified other relevant expertise, such as
individuals or organisations with successful experience of setting up a new
organisation or business, school governance, human resources, ICT,
property/construction, marketing and project management;
• set out clear time commitments to the project from the relevant individuals;
• explain how work on this school will be balanced against the development of
others if your group is seeking to establish more than one school; and
• set out clear and detailed plans for identifying and securing any necessary
expertise currently missing from your group.
27
link to page 30
F4: Show how your staffing structure will deliver the planned
curriculum.
You must:
• set out plans showing an appropriate and phased build-up of staff (where the
school is increasing in size over time) in line with planned pupil numbers and
financial resources;
• describe the final staffing structure and show how it is sufficient, affordable
and appropriate to deliver the education vision and plan;
• set out the structure of the senior leadership team, heads of department and
any other staff, as well as a clear description of their roles and
responsibilities;
• reflect both the arrangements for the first term and year, and for the longer
term as the school builds to full capacity, with clear delineation of roles and
responsibilities; and
• ensure the information you provide is consistent with that provided in
Section G.
F5: Provide realistic plans for recruiting a high quality principal
designate, other staff and governors in accordance with your
proposed staffing structure and education plans.
You must:
• set out plans for recruiting your school’s principal designate (head teacher)
and the role you envisage him/her playing in the implementation phase;
• provide the CV of your preferred principal designate, if you have already
identified one, along with evidence of their ability to deliver your education
vision and plan and lead your proposed school
;
• set out your plans for recruiting high quality members of staff;
• tell us about any individuals you have already identified as prospective
governors and their relevant skills and expertise; and
• describe how you will identify and appoint committed governors with the
breadth of skills needed to oversee successfully both the implementation of
a school and its operation once open.
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
• where you have already identified a preferred principal designate, we may
28
require that person to be assessed to help inform the decision to appoint;
and
• if your application is approved, you will – subject to our agreement – be able
to appoint a principal designate up to two terms in advance of the school’s
opening date.
F6: Demonstrate a clear understanding and describe the
respective roles of the company members, governing body and
principal designate in running your school.
You must:
• clearly describe both in writing
and in a diagram the structure, lines of
accountability and methods of escalation between the company members,
the school’s governing body (the company directors) and the principal;
• clearly define and set out the respective roles and responsibilities of the
company members, the governing body and the principal; and
• have arrangements that seek to ensure that any potential conflicts of interest
are avoided and that deliver
independent challenge to those with executive
functions.
29
link to page 44 link to page 30 link to page 33
Section G: Initial costs and financial viability
6.20 In this section we are looking for evidence that the cost of setting up your
school and delivering your proposed education plan is affordable and that your
group is able to plan and manage the financial side of running a publicly funded
school. Alternative provision Free Schools must offer value for money.
6.21 We have included in Annex B an explanation of how alternative provision
Free School funding works and the information you need to know before starting
this section of your application. You should read this annex carefully.
Step 1 - You must complete two different financial plans for
your school. 6.22 We want you to create two different financial plans for your school. You
must do this by filling out the same template spreadsheet twice, with information
based on two different scenarios. The alternative provision Free School
template spreadsheet
is available here. Please ensure that you use the correct
template
13. Instructions for completing the spreadsheet are contained within it.
6.23 The first financial plan needs to show us the income you expect to receive
and what you intend to spend when your school is full. You must provide
financial information up to and including the academic year
after the school is
full, and for a minimum period of five years. For example, if you are planning for
your school to reach capacity in two years, then you must cover the period
2013/14 to 2017/18. The latest that alternative provision Free Schools should
be full is from the beginning of the fourth year.
6.24 You should complete the second financial plan to show us how you would
reduce spending if your income were lower than expected – for example, if you
recruit fewe
r pupils than planned. Please see criterion G3.
6.25
In both financial plans, your income must always exceed your
expenditure, taking start-up funding and reserves you have built up in
prior years into account.
6.26 In preparing your financial plans, you should think carefully about how you
can make the best use of the money available to you to deliver your school’s
education plan. We know that it will not be possible for you to state actual costs
at this stage but we need you to demonstrate that your particular education
vision and plan are affordable. The cost estimates you make need to be
realistic and based on evidence. You can do this by looking at what other
alternative provision schools do and how much they spend each year on
different things. When you show income that is not from the Department for
Education (including your per pupil funding from commissioners), you need to
explain where it is coming from, how certain you are that you will get it and
13 Please use the alternative provision template – other templates are available for mainstream
Free Schools, special Free Schools, studio schools and university technical colleges.
30
provide evidence to support this assumption. For your per pupil funding from
commissioners this should include written evidence providing in principle
commitments that they will refer children to your alternative provision Free
School and are prepared to pay the per pupil funding level you have set (as
required under criterion E2).
6.27 In preparing your financial plans it is important for you to ensure that they:
• are based on clearly stated and evidenced assumptions;
• are consistent with the evidence of demand from your commissioners;
• demonstrate that your commissioners are willing to pay the per pupil
funding rates that you have set;
• flow directly from the education vision and plan for the alternative
provision Free School;
• show how you have kept costs to the minimum needed to deliver your
education plan;
• refer to established school benchmarks where appropriate;
• use best estimates where there are uncertainties;
• do not show a deficit in any year;
• are not predicated on your school being able to borrow money;
• do not carry over excessive balances of money from one year to the
next; and
• show clearly any income you are expecting to receive from sources other
than the Department for Education and commissioners and provide
robust evidence to show why this is realistic and achievable.
6.28 Both completed financial plans must be submitted alongside your main
application
as electronic excel files and in hard copy.
Step 2 - In addition, you must include an explanation in your
application form describing how you developed your financial
plans and the thinking behind them.
6.29 We expect you to explain how you have kept costs as low as possible,
evidence that commissioners are willing to pay the per pupil funding rates and
how your financial plans support your education vision and plan. You should
also tell us about the assumptions you have based your plan on, and the
evidence you have gathered to show these are realistic. Even once the
alternative provision Free School has reached steady state, it will still be
required to respond flexibly to shifting patterns of local need and to manage a
high pupil turnover in each academic year. You should set out clearly how your
financial plan enables the school to remain financially viable in these
circumstances.
31
link to page 34 link to page 32 link to page 46
Review of school funding
6.30 School funding for 2012/13 and beyond is not yet decided because of
wider work going on to reform the school funding system. For the purposes of
this application you will need to use the interim funding model for 2012/13
which uses the confirmed 2011/12 funding figures. However, from 2013 the
results of the school funding review may mean that a different funding model will
be used. This means that the approach to, and levels of, funding suggested by
the template spreadsheet are indicative only, and do not represent the actual
funding the school would receive if approved.
6.31
We will be using six criteria to assess applications for initial costs and
financial viability. Five of the criteria apply to all alternative provision Free
School applications. You should
only seek to address criterion G6 if you are an
existing provider seeking to become an alternative provision Free School.
G1: Show how the school will be financially viable and offer
value for money up to the point where there is a full cohort of
pupils.
You must:
• show in
both financial plans that income, including start-up funding,
would exceed expenditure for each year up to and including the first year
where you have a full cohort of pupils (the ‘start-up’ period). The latest that
this can be is the fourth year; and
• demonstrate you have minimised the need for any start-up funding,
particularly staffing diseconomy funding
14. For example, where the school
is building-up we would normally expect principals to do some teaching,
and for support staff to fill multiple roles.
G2: Show how the school will be financially sustainable once
there is a full cohort of pupils.
You must:
• demonstrate in your
first financial plan that income will exceed expenditure
once the school is no longer eligible for start-up funding. The last year in
which schools are currently eligible for start-up funding is the first year in
which they have a full cohort of pupils. The latest that this can be is the
fourth year; and
• set out clearly and explain in your application form the supporting
assumptions for this first financial plan.
14
See Annex C for more on staff diseconomy funding.
32
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
• a strong financial plan should also include contingencies and flexibility that
would allow the school to cope with unexpected financial pressures. You
should not do this by building up a large surplus over time.
G3: Show how the school will be financially resilient to
reductions in income.
You must:
• show in your
second financial plan how you would reduce your expenditure
to spend less than your income if you were not able to achieve the levels of
income you assumed in your first financial plan. You must show how you
would do this whilst still being able to deliver high quality education in line
with your stated education vision and plan;
• show in your second financial plan how you would manage if only 80% of
pupil places were filled in each year;
• also take into account any other areas that could impact on your school’s
income. In particular, where relevant, you should show in your second
financial plan how you would manage if you did not reach the assumed level
of income from sources other than grants from the Department for Education
and your commissioner per pupil funding (e.g. if you are expecting to receive
any third party contributions);
and
• set out clearly and explain in your application form the supporting
assumptions for your second financial plan.
G4: Provide realistic financial plans that are consistent with
other aspects of your application.
You must:
• be consistent about the information you provide in
both financial plans and
other relevant parts of your application. This means that the numbers and
assumptions in your
first financial plan must match the numbers and
assumptions stated elsewhere in the application form and that the numbers
and assumptions in your
second financial plan are clearly explained and
evidenced in your application form.
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
33
• examples of areas that will be scrutinised include pupil numbers, staffing
structure, and whether there are elements of the education vision and plan
(such as extended provision) that would require financing and how these are
reflected in your financial plans.
G5: Provide sound financial plans that are based on realistic
and evidenced assumptions about income and expenditure.
You must:
• complete the template spreadsheets accurately;
• ensure that all required fields of the template spreadsheets are filled in;
• clearly state and evidence in your application form all the assumptions you
have made in putting together your financial plans;
• clearly state and evidence that commissioners are willing to pay the per
pupil funding rates you intend to charge; and
• use, where appropriate, benchmarking data (e.g. school or local authority
data) to ensure that the figures you have included are realistic.
G6: For existing providers, show that the existing provider has
a good track record of financial management and explain any
existing financial issues which could impact on becoming an
alternative provision Free School.
You must:
• submit the school’s audited financial statements for the last two years with
your completed application form; or
• supply alternative evidence of financial viability where the existing provider
has not been open long enough to have two years’ worth of audited
accounts.
In preparing your application, it is important to note that:
• you should tell us about any relevant financial issues and explain how you
will seek to address them. You should expect to discuss these in greater
detail in later stages of the application process. Examples of financial issues
which may impact on becoming an alternative provision Free School include
running at an operating deficit or having outstanding loans, including
mortgages.
34
link to page 35
Section H: Premises
6.32 Finding a suitable site is an essential part of opening an alternative
provision Free School. As part of preparing your application you should
investigate potential sites for your school. In your application we would like you
to tell us about the sites you have identified.
6.33 We would like to know where you would prefer your school to be. In your
application you should include details of up to two preferred sites where your
proposed school could potentially open. However, not having a preferred site at
this stage will not affect your application. If your application is taken forward to
the interview stage of the application process, your preferred sites may be
visited by Partnerships for Schools. Partnerships for Schools is the organisation
appointed by the Department for Education to assist in finding and securing
Free School sites
15. Partnerships for Schools will assess the sites they visit for
their suitability, availability, and the likely cost and duration of work required.
6.34 We will also make an overall cost and value for money assessment of your
proposed site options. You should therefore aim for the lowest possible capital
costs. Successful applicants will be provided with help to secure a suitable site
for their alternative provision Free School. Advice and guidance on how to find
potential sites, as part of developing your application, is available from
Partnerships for Schools by contacting them by
e-mail.
6.35 You should make enquiries as to whether your proposed sites are
available for acquisition or leasehold but you
must not enter into any
negotiations
at this or any other stage on the expectation of government
funding. If your application is approved, Partnerships for Schools will undertake
negotiations on our behalf to acquire a site for your school.
6.36
Please note that if, following approval of your application, it proves
impossible to identify a feasible site, we may not be able to open your school in
September 2013, simply because of the time required to prepare the site for the
opening. If this is the case, Partnerships for Schools will help you with your
search for a site and we may consider working with you towards opening in
2014 or beyond.
6.37 Although this section of your application will not be assessed against any
specific criteria, you should aim to provide us with the following information:
Possible site options
6.38 Please provide brief details of the steps you have taken to search for
suitable sites and what sites (if any) are available in the local area.
15 From April 2012, Partnerships for Schools will become part of the new Education Funding
Agency.
35
Details of your preferred sites
6.39 Please set out for each of your preferred sites, if possible:
• your reasons for choosing it;
• the address and postcode of the proposed site;
• the current use of the proposed site;
• the current freeholder of the proposed site;
• a brief description of the site including size (in square metres) along with
the pupil numbers you are proposing;
• the availability of the site and the nature of the tenure; and
• why you think the site is suitable for your school and how it will support
delivery of your education vision.
Capital investment
6.40 Please detail any sources of funding available to you to support site
acquisition.
6.41 Existing providers should not normally expect to receive any capital
funding unless they plan to expand their pupil numbers. If existing providers are
planning to expand their pupil numbers as a consequence of becoming an
alternative provision Free School, they may be eligible for some limited capital
investment.
Free Schools in public and government buildings
6.42 When looking for potential sites we would encourage you to consider
surplus or under-utilised government and other public buildings. These have the
potential to offer cost-effective solutions. A wide range of public buildings could
provide suitable accommodation for an alternative provision Free School,
including:
• offices
• courts and police stations
• clinics, health centres, day centres and hospitals
• care facilities
• training centres
• Territorial Army facilities and barracks
• depots
• former churches
• ambulance stations
• fire Control Centres
6.43 We have carried out detailed assessments including surveys and, where
appropriate, pre-planning applications of six sites. We welcome applications to
establish Free Schools on these sites. Information on these sites, including
location, size and the type of Free School for which each site might be suitable
36
can be found
here. They currently include two Department for Education
buildings, Mowden Hall in Darlington and Castle View House in Runcorn, where
there is potential to share the sites with us.
6.44 We will provide details of further properties as they become available. If
you are interested in any of these properties please email Partnerships for
Schools.
6.45 Partnerships for Schools will provide you with further detail about these
sites and will be able to advise you on how they might match your education
vision. Furthermore, to assist you with searching for other available government
and publicly owned sites, Partnerships for Schools has developed an online
map browser that will allow you to explore potential government and other
publicly owned buildings by entering
your postcode. This can be found here.
37
link to page 39 link to page 39
Section I: Due diligence & other checks
6.46 We will be carrying out a number of checks, as part of the application
process, on those applying to establish an alternative provision Free School and
any other person who will be involved in the management or running of a
school. These checks will include due diligence checks, credit checks, and
enhanced Criminal Records Bureau checks
and may include police and other
checks that may be necessary to ensure that only those who are suitable to do
so are able to set up and run an alternative provision Free School. Personal
information provided as part of the application process, including the information
requested below, may therefore be passed to third parties for these purposes.
6.47 In order to be able to carry out these checks we require applicants to
provide certain personal information about themselves. The form is available
here.
6.48
We must receive these forms by 6pm on 24 February 2012.
When
completed please send the due diligence forms directly to the
Due Diligence
Team. These forms should remain separate from your main application and
be
submitted in hard copy only.
6.49
For the purposes of the Data Protection Act 1998, the Department for
Education is the data controller for personal information supplied on these forms
and for ensuring that this information is processed in accordance with the
requirements of the Act. Any third parties processing personal information on
behalf of the Department for Education will be acting as its data processors. The
Department for Education will hold all personal information you supply securely
and will only make it available to those who need to see it as part of the
application process. All personal information supplied in these forms will be
destroyed when it is no longer needed for the purpose of the due diligence
process.
6.50 Applicants who refuse to provide any of the information requested may be
asked to withdraw from the process and from any subsequent involvement in
the Free School in order for the application to be considered.
6.51 It is our policy that where an applicant is judged to be unsuitable to be
involved in the operation of an alternative provision Free School, he or she may
be offered the opportunity to withdraw from the application process. Where an
applicant declines to withdraw, the application may be refused.
6.52 Where an application is refused on the grounds that an individual is
deemed unsuitable, the applicants will be informed that it is not assessed to be
in the interests of the Free Schools programme to progress the application with
the involvement of that individual. Fuller reasons may not be provided.
38
link to page 51 link to page 39
7. Submitting your application
How, where and when to submit
Sections A-H
7.1
Sections A-H require you to submit written information and two financial
plans between 13 and 24 February 2012. Applications received after the
deadline will not be considered. You need to submit
one copy by email to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xxx.xx and
two
hard copies by
‘Recorded Signed For’ post to:
Free Schools Applications Team
Department for Education
3rd Floor
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT
7.2 It is essential that the hard copies you provide are identical to the electronic
version you email. Your application should be formatted for printing on A4
paper and completed in Arial font with a minimum font size of 12. Your email
must be smaller than 20MB in total. You may wish, therefore, to carefully
consider how important photographs, images and logos are to your application.
Section I
7.3 For due diligence purposes, you will also need to submit one hard copy of
the
Section A form and as many signed signed hard copies of the
due
diligence form as are required (each member and director of the company
must complete and sign a form). The lead applicant or main contact should put
these together in
one envelope and return them by
‘Recorded Signed For’
post to the following address:
Due Diligence Team
Department for Education
4th Floor
Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT
7.4
Please remember that we must receive all of the documents that make up
your application
no earlier than 9am on 13 February and no later than 6pm
on 24 February 2012 in order for them to be considered
16.
Please use the
checklist in
Annex D of this document to ensure that you have provided all the
information we need to assess your application.
16 Applicants should not submit additional supporting material after this date, although the
Department for Education reserves the right to request additional information if deemed
necessary.
39
8. Support for applicants Useful contacts
8.1 Please find below contact details of organisations that are able to offer
support:
• For general advice, please contact the New Schools Netw
ork here. The
New Schools Network is an independent charity which receives funding
from the Department for Education to provide free advice and guidance
to Free School applicants.
• If you want to explore the best possible location for your alternative
provision Free School then
support is available here from the School Kit
online tool developed by Partnership for Schools.
• Advice and guidance on how to find potential school sites, as part of
developing your application, is available from Partnerships for Schools by
contacting them by
e-mail.
• If you have any technical problems with this guidance, the Department
for Education website or any of the forms, please contact us by calling
0370 000 2288 or visiting our
website.
Further information and key documents
8.2 There are a range of websites and documents that you may find useful
when writing your Free School application, including:
Academies Financial Handbook: http://readingroom.ypla.gov.uk/ypla/ypla-
academies_financial_handbook-gn-nov06.pdf
Behaviour and exclusions guidance: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DfES%200087%
20200MIG1262.pdf
Charity Commission guidance:
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/publications/cc3.aspx
Companies House: http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/
Department for Education Procurement Guidance for Free Schools:
http://www.education.gov.uk/freeschools/b0073235/procurement-guidance-for-
free-schools/
Equality Act 2010: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents Frequently asked questions about Free Schools:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/free
schoolsfaqs
40
Governance guidance:
www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/governance
Model Free School funding agreement: http://
www.education.gov.uk/freeschools/a0074737/free-schools-model-funding-
agreement.
Model Free School memorandum and articles:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/gui
dance/a0074737/free-schools-model-funding-agreement.
Information on existing Free School projects:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/b00
66077/free-schools-opening-in-2011
New Schools Network: http://newschoolsnetwork.org/
Partnerships for Schools: http://www.partnershipsforschools.org.uk . PfS have
devised a Free Schools Kit - an online map browser that allows users to
explore potential sites for their new Free School: This can be accessed here:
http://fsk.partnershipsforschools.org.uk/default.htm
Schools benchmarking website (for examples of maintained school
finances): https://sfb.teachernet.gov.uk/Login.aspx
Special Educational Needs Code of Practice: https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/standard/publicationDetail/Page1/DfE
S%200581%202001#downloadableparts
Special Educational Needs and Disability Green Paper:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/sen/a0075339/sengreenpape
r
Top tips for 2013 Free School applicants:
http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/typesofschools/freeschools/gui
dance/a0074965/how-to-apply-to-open-a-free-school
41
link to page 15
Annex A: Types of Free Schools
One of the aims of the Free Schools programme is to have genuinely new
provision which helps create a more diverse and innovative school system.
What is important is that you have a vision for a school that will improve the
educational outcomes of its pupils
and you have the capacity, capability and a
plan to deliver this along with demonstrable demand.
In most cases the school you propose is likely to fall into one of the following
four categories:
•
mainstream: an all-ability school, which must cater for children of
statutory school age, offer a broad and balanced curriculum, and have
admissions arrangements in line with the School Admissions Code;
•
16-19: a school catering for pupils aged 16-19. The school does not have
to offer a broad and balanced curriculum or comply with the School
Admissions Code. Students can be selected, following an interview if
desired, on the basis of prior achievement or other criteria;
•
special: a school specifically organised to provide for children with
statements of special educational needs, with a curriculum plan tailored
to meet individual pupils’ needs. Special Free Schools will be designated
for a specific type or types of special educational needs such as cognitive
and learning needs; or
•
alternative provision: a school which caters principally for children of
compulsory school age who may not otherwise receive suitable
education. They offer high quality alternative provision for excluded
children, severely bullied children, school phobics and refusers, early
intervention for children with behaviour problems and others who require
alternative provision for a time.
If your proposed Free School does not fit obviously into one of the types
outlined above, you should apply using the application forms and guidance you
think are closest to the type of provision you wish to offer. In most cases this will
be the mainstream application guidance and forms.
For example, if a school wants to have pupils on its roll permanently (as
opposed to short term placements) then it is not alternative provision (even if it
wishes to offer an alternative curriculum) and you should follow the mainstream
forms and guidance. If you want your school to offer a mix of provision which
includes mainstream education then the mainstream form will normally be the
most appropriate.
We have provided a grid below to help you pick which route best fits your
proposed school. The key thing to think about is the type of pupils your school
wishes to cater for and how you want to admit them. You should also include a
short rationale at the beginning of
the application under Section C: Education
42
link to page 15
vision. This should set out what it is you wish to do and how you believe this
will improve educational standards for your pupils. It should also set out which
pupils you wish to cater for, their needs and how you plan to admit them.
If you submit a strong application which does fit within the current legal
frameworks, we will still work with you to see what is achievable in terms of
delivering your vision for a new school.
Type of
Admissions
Curriculum
Funding
Free
School
Mainstream As for maintained
Must be broad and Per pupil funding the
schools and
balanced
same as local authority
Academies, parents
maintained school
apply for a place for
(including deprivation
their child. Must
etc)
comply with the
School Admissions
Code
16-19
Must have fair and
Must meet the
Per pupil funding the
transparent
needs and
same as local authority
admissions
interests of
maintained 16–19
arrangements but
students but does
school (including
do not have to
not have to be
deprivation etc)
comply with the
broad and
School Admissions
balanced
Code
Special
Predominantly
Does not need to
Per place funding of
statemented pupils
be broad and
£10,000 plus whatever
placed by local
balanced but
the commissioning
authorities
curriculum plans
body will pay to meet
should be tailored
costs of provision
to meet the
individual needs of
pupils.
Alternative
Referrals from
Does not need to
For children of
Provision
commissioners
be broad and
compulsory school
(Academies,
balanced but must age: per-pupil funding
schools and local
cover, at least, age is entirely from the
authorities)
and ability
commissioner at a
appropriate
level negotiated
functional
between them and the
elements of
alternative provision
English, maths
Free School. Funding
and ICT
for 16-19 year olds can
come from the
commissioner or at the
mainstream 16-19 per-
pupil funding rate
43
Annex B: School Funding Overview Review of school funding
The approach to, and levels of, Free Schools funding are currently being
reviewed. The funding that schools will receive from 2012/13 onwards therefore
has not yet been agreed. The information set out below and in the financial
template is based on the interim funding model for alternative provision Free
Schools in 2012/13 which uses the confirmed 2011/12 funding figures in places.
However, from 2013 the results of the school funding review may mean that a
different funding model will be used.
The information set out below and in the template should be considered
illustrative only. No guarantee can be given at this point about the approach
that will be used in future years or of the levels of funding that will be received
from 2012/13 onwards. For example, it is likely that levels of start-up funding
will be lowered.
School funding explained
Alternative provision Free School funding is dependent on the admissions
arrangements for your pupils. For pupils referred by commissioners (all children
of compulsory school age and some 16-19 year old pupils) your per pupil
funding will come from the commissioner. For 16-19 year old pupils who apply
under a mainstream admissions process all of your funding will come from the
Education Funding Agency (EFA) in the same way as for mainstream schools.
In both funding arrangements, the more pupils you have, the more funding you
get. This is why having evidence of demand for your school is so important. If
your school does not have enough pupils it will be very difficult for you to pay for
staff and the upkeep of the building.
Existing providers should not normally expect to receive any capital funding
unless they plan to expand their pupil numbers. If existing providers are
planning to expand their pupil numbers as a consequence of becoming an
alternative provision Free School, they may be eligible for some limited capital
investment. Decisions will be made on a case by case basis with strong
supporting evidence required.
Start-up funding
Start-up funding
is intended to bridge the gap between a school opening and
there being a full cohort of pupils. Due to the nature of alternative provision
Free Schools and the ways that children are referred to them, we expect them
to be full from their fourth year of operation at the latest. Start-up funding
should enable a new school to cover essential costs when a school first opens,
such as employing a principal and buying books and equipment, where these
costs could not otherwise be met by the per pupil funding.
44
There are currently two main types of start-up funding:
• formulaic funding; and
• staffing diseconomy funding.
Formulaic funding is based on a standard formula and will be the same for all
schools depending on the number of pupils. This currently includes funding for
books, materials and equipment, recruitment costs after you have opened and
some initial senior staff training. These formulaic elements will automatically
complete in the financial template once you have entered pupil and teacher
numbers.
Staffing diseconomy funding is worked out on a school by school basis and is
designed to help meet the costs of employing senior staff when the school
opens. The amount of funding currently depends on the way pupil numbers
build up and which senior staff are essential for schools to operate.
The staffing diseconomy lines of the spreadsheet are blank for you to complete.
You will need to estimate how much diseconomy funding your school may need
while building up pupil numbers. As a guide, a school which has 100 full-time
equivalent places (FTE) and anticipates having the equivalent of 20 FTE pupils
across the academic year will have 20% of its pupils in the first year, so might
expect diseconomy funding to cover up to 80% of the principal’s salary in the
first year.
Diseconomy funding should be used to fund only the minimum
essential posts.
Please note that existing providers becoming alternative provision Free Schools
will
not normally be eligible for any start-up funding.
Lead-in funding
If your application is approved it is likely that you will be eligible for funding to
help you get your school ready to open. This funding is known as lead-in
funding. It can currently be used to help develop detailed plans for the school
including the curriculum, recruiting a principal designate, running a consultation
on their proposed school, and engaging with commissioners.
This funding is
not covered by the financial template, and you do not need to
include this as part of your application. We will discuss this with you if you are
successful. As with all types of Free Schools funding, applicant groups will
need to justify any need for funding, keep costs to a minimum and demonstrate
how they have secured value for money.
45
Annex C: Glossary of terms
Academies Financial Handbook: contains instructions for Academies
regarding their funding and obligations towards accounting and reporting.
Academy: a publicly funded independent school, free from local authority
control. Other freedoms include setting their own pay and conditions for staff,
freedom from following the National Curriculum, and the ability to change the
lengths of their terms and school days.
Academy Trust: a charitable company limited by guarantee which operates an
Academy or Free School. See ‘company limited by guarantee’ for further
information.
Articles of association: set out the purpose, composition and operating
arrangements of the company limited by guarantee (also known as the
Academy Trust).
Cash flow: the pattern of spending in each month and the corresponding
amount of income required.
Catchment area: the geographical area which you intend your school to serve.
Collective worship: all schools must provide a daily act of collective worship.
For schools that do not have a religious designation, daily acts of collective
worship should be of a broadly Christian nature.
Company limited by guarantee: a private company, where the liabilities of its
members are limited, in the case of Academy Trusts to £10. This is the type of
company that will most often be used for non-profit organisations. As a legal
entity in its own right, a company limited by guarantee can make agreements
and let contracts in the name of the company rather than the name of individual
members.
Devolved formula capital: funding for the maintenance and repairs of school
buildings. Free Schools will not receive this funding in their first year.
Directors: appointed by the members of a company to form a governing body
and oversee the day-to-day management of the school. All individuals on the
governing body must be formally appointed as directors of the company and
registered with Companies House. It is possible for an individual to be a
member and a director but we would expect most directors of the company not
to be members.
Due diligence: an umbrella term for a number of checks that will be made on
all those applying to establish a Free School. The checks enable the
Department for Education to ensure that only suitable individuals are able to set
up and run a Free School.
46
Education Funding Agency (EFA): see YPLA
English Baccalaureate: where pupils have secured a C grade or better at
GCSE in all of English, mathematics, history or geography, the sciences and a
language
Escalation (methods of): the approach to, and level of responsibility at which
particular issues will be resolved when setting up and running the school.
Ethos: the distinctive education vision, values and principles that inform the
way a school is run.
Faith ethos: if you want your school to have a distinct ethos based on a set of
morals that are aligned with a particular faith and you want to make this explicit,
you can describe your school as having a faith ethos. This could then be
reflected within the vision for the school, the values the school represents and
the importance placed on particular beliefs. Religious education and collective
worship cannot be provided in line with the faith ethos if this is anything other
than Christian in nature.
Financial viability: whether a school can survive in financial terms in the long-
term. Free Schools must be able to balance their budgets. This means
spending less than their income. In the start up period, income is currently per
pupil funding plus an additional start-up grant. When schools reach steady
state, their income will be per pupil funding only.
Founding members of the company: the people that establish the company
and sign the memorandum of association that is submitted (with the company's
articles of association) when registering the company with Companies House.
Further members may subsequently be appointed.
Free school meals (FSM): whether children are, or have ever been, eligible for
free school meals is frequently used as an indicator of deprivation, and is often
used as a qualifier for calculating funding targeted at deprived students, areas
and schools.
Full time equivalent (FTE): this represents the total pupil load as if all pupils
are full-time, counting part-time normally as 0.5. So for example if the school
will have 100 full-time pupils and 30 part-time younger pupils the FTE total
would be 115.
Funding agreement: a legally binding contract between the Academy Trust
and the Secretary of State that sets out the conditions and requirements upon
which the Academy Trust is funded.
General annual grant (GAG): otherwise known as ‘per pupil funding’, this is an
Academy’s annual expected funding. Schools are expected to cover all their
running costs out of their GAG.
47
Governors: see definition of ‘Directors’.
Governing body: the body appointed by the members of the Academy Trust to
oversee the day-to-day management of the school and hold the senior
management team to account. The governing body must be constituted in
accordance with the Trust’s articles of association.
Grant funding: a method of giving funds for a specific purpose and/or a limited
amount of time.
Information and communication technology (ICT): this includes telephony,
computer equipment and operating systems for the running of the school. It
also covers the use of ICT in the curriculum as a subject and to support
teaching and learning.
Indicative funding: gives a school an estimated funding quote for the
forthcoming academic year. It is based on the average local authority funding
for maintained schools and the expected number of pupils on roll at that school
in the relevant year.
Looked after children (LAC): children who are in the care of the local
authority.
Lead-in funding: funding provided to help set up the school before it opens. It
can currently be used to help develop detailed plans for the school including the
curriculum, recruiting a principal designate, running a consultation on the
proposed school, and attracting pupils.
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS): a nationwide public sector
pension scheme administered locally for participating employers through 99
regional pension funds. Free Schools must offer this scheme to all their non-
teaching staff.
Members (of the company): the company’s legal owners. They play a
strategic role in running the school, are responsible for appointing directors of
the Free School (the ‘governing body’) and have ultimate control over the
company.
Memorandum of association: contains the names of the individuals who are
forming the company (the company’s founding members). It indicates their
willingness to become a member of the company under the Companies Act
2006.
Pedagogy: different styles and approaches to teaching.
Procurement: the process of entering into contracts for the acquisition of goods
and/or services.
Pupil premium: additional funding allocated to schools for children who are
eligible for free school meals. Children who had been continuously looked after
48
by the local authority for six months at some point in the period up to 31 March
2010 will also attract the pupil premium.
Qualified Teacher Status (QTS): the accreditation that enables individuals to
teach in state maintained and special schools in England and Wales.
School action and school action plus: programmes for children with special
educational needs who do not have a statement of special educational needs.
Special educational needs (SEN): children with a learning difficulty
which requires additional, or otherwise different, educational provision than is
offered more generally for children of their age.
Special educational needs coordinator (SENCo): the SENCo plays a key
role, in collaboration with the headteacher and governing body, in determining
the strategic development of the SEN policy and provision in the school in order
to raise the achievement of children with SEN. The SENCo takes day-to-day
responsibility for the provision made for individual children with SEN, working
closely with staff, parents and carers, and other agencies. The SENCo also
provides related professional guidance to colleagues with the aim of securing
high quality teaching for children with SEN.
Service children: children whose parents are in the armed forces.
Solvency/insolvency: a company or individual is solvent if the value of its
assets exceeds the value of any debts it might owe. Insolvency refers to the
situation in which a company or individual’s debts exceed their assets or if a
company or individual has insufficient funds available to meet its debts as they
fall due.
Start-up period: the period up to and including the first year the school has a
full cohort of pupils.
Start-up funding: additional funding currently available when schools are first
set up (and before there is a full cohort of pupils) for essential costs such as
employing a principal designate (head teacher) and buying books and
equipment.
Statements of special educational needs: a statement describes a child's
special educational needs and the special help a child should receive. The local
authority will usually make a statement if they decide, following a statutory
assessment, that all the special help a child needs cannot be provided from
within the school's resources. These resources could include money, staff time
and special equipment.
Statutory assessment of special educational needs: a detailed investigation
to find out exactly what a child's special educational needs are and what special
help a child needs. A statutory assessment is only necessary if the school or
early education setting cannot provide all the help that the child needs.
49
Steady state: the first year after you have a full cohort of pupils.
Studio Schools: an innovative new model of 14 to 19 year-old educational
provision. They are small schools which deliver mainstream qualifications
through project based learning and work placements. Students work with local
employers and a personal coach and follow a curriculum designed to give them
the employability skills and qualifications that they need in the world of work or
further education.
Teachers’ Pension Scheme (TPS): a contributory scheme administered by
Teachers' Pensions (TP) on behalf of the Department for Education. Free
Schools must offer this scheme to all their teachers, including head teachers.
University Technical Colleges (UTCs): newly-established 14-19 Academies
that deliver technical education to engage young people and meet the needs of
modern business. UTCs are sponsored by a local university and industry
partner(s). They offer full time courses that combine practical and academic
studies, and focus on disciplines requiring highly specialised equipment, for
example, engineering, manufacturing with product design, construction, or
agriculture.
Value for money (VfM): the term used to assess whether or not an
organisation has obtained the maximum benefit from the goods and services it
acquires and/ or provides, within the resources available to it. It not only
measures the cost of goods and services, but also takes account of the mix of
quality, fitness for purpose, timeliness and convenience.
Voluntary contributions: a suggested donation sometimes sought by schools
in order to support their work.
Young People’s Learning Agency / Education Funding Agency
(YPLA/EFA): the YPLA currently funds all Academies (with funding provided by
the Department for Education) and also funds other training for 16-19s. YPLA
will be closed under the government’s reorganisation of arms length bodies and
its functions will be provided by the new Education Funding Agency (an
executive agency of the Department for Education) from April, 2012.
50
link to page 14 link to page 14 link to page 15 link to page 16 link to page 20 link to page 26 link to page 30 link to page 35 link to page 14
Annex D: Application checklist
Checklist: Sections A-H of your application
Yes
No
1. You have established a company limited by guarantee
2. You have provided information to cover all of the following
areas:
Section A: Applicant details – including signed declaration
Section B: Outline of the school
Section C: Education vision
Section D: Education plan
Section E: Evidence of demand and marketing
Section F: Capacity and capability
Section G: Initial costs and financial viability
Section H: Premises
3. This information is provided in A4 format using Arial font,
minimum 12 font size
4. You have completed two financial plans using the financial
template spreadsheet
5. You have provided written evidence from commissioners to
support your evidence of demand
6. Existing providers which are registered as independent
schools only: you have provided a link to the most recent
inspection report
7. Existing providers only: you have provided a copy of the last
two years’ audited financial statements or equivalent
8. All relevant information relating to Sections A-H of your
application has been emailed to
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxx.xxx.xx
v.uk between 13 February and 24 February 2012
9. Two hard copies of the application have been sent by
‘Recorded Signed For’ post to: Free Schools Applications
Team, Department for Education, 3rd Floor, Sanctuary
Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT, between 13
and 24 February 2012
Checklist: Section I of your application
10. A cop
y of Section A of the form and as many copies of the
due diligence form as there are members and directors have
been sent by ‘Recorded Signed For’ post to: Due Diligence
Team, Department for Education, 4th Floor, Sanctuary
Buildings, Great Smith Street, London SW1P 3BT, between 13
and 24 February 2012
51
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