What is a free school?
Free schools are independent, state-funded schools. They have the same legal status as academies.
Will free schools be able to make a profit?
No. Free Schools can only be set up and owned by charities. The school will be run by the Head and their leadership team and they will be answerable to a Board of Governors.
Why are you proposing to open with only xxxxx classes?
Admissions to the school are taking place where demand for places has been identified.
Are free schools selective?
No. Free schools have to follow the new admissions code like all state-funded schools.
If xxxxx School opens in September xxxxx will that mean less money for the other schools in the area?
No. Funding for free schools will be equivalent to the funding of maintained schools and academies in the same local authority area. The opening of a free school does not mean that the overall funding available in an area goes down. However, the total funding an individual school receives will depend on the number of pupils attending.
Will xxxxx School be inspected by Ofsted?
Yes. All free schools are subject to inspection in the same way as other academy category schools.
Have you chosen a Head for xxxxx School?
Not yet. We are looking for a high-calibre leader to take on this opportunity and will be advertising nationally to make sure we get the best candidates to apply. We hope to be able to appoint our Head to start in early 2015 but will not rush such a critical decision.
How will the school be accountable?
The school will be run by a Board of Governors who will be accountable to the charitable trust which oversees the school. In addition the school will also be accountable to the Department for Education through the terms of its Funding Agreement.
How can I apply for a place?
Details of the admissions procedure will be made available on this website.