Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will discuss with (a) the Whitbourne Independent School and Hub and (b) other projects whose applications for free school status were turned down those applicants' feedback on how the application process can be made easier for small independent schools.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department for Education welcomes all feedback on its processes and routinely surveys both successful and unsuccessful free school applicants to ensure the application process remains rigorous and fair and that only the strongest applications are approved.
The Whitbourne Independent School and Hub unsuccessfully applied to the New School Network's development programme, but has not applied to the Department of Education to open a free school. It is welcome to do so.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to give free schools more flexibility on requirements relating to (a) the involvement of volunteers and (b) provision of flexi-school places.
Answered by Edward Timpson
Volunteers in free schools, like maintained schools, can work alongside paid staff members to offer a range of skills and experience that can enhance pupils' learning. We encourage skilled members of the community to take up a range of voluntary roles in schools from being governors to listening to children read. The Government has reformed child protection policies to remove bureaucracy and enable managers to use their judgement about the checks and supervision required for each individual depending on their circumstances.
The free school programme encourages innovation and the decision to offer flexi-school places or how to deploy volunteers is one for individual head teachers. However, the free school criteria requires all applicants to meet rigorous standards including demonstrating how they would ensure a high quality education for every pupil and outlining a sustainable staffing structure.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for free school status for which the Church of England has agreed to provide school premises have been (a) approved and (b) rejected.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department for Education does not hold the information in the form requested.
Whether applicants already have premises for their proposed school, and who provides those premises, are not, on their own, material factors in the decision to approve or reject a free school application. Rather, that decision is based principally on an assessment of the need for the school, the strength of the applicants' education plans and their ability to deliver a school that is financially viable and likely to be judged “good” or “outstanding” by Ofsted.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate he has made of the average length of time between an application for free school status being made and a successful applicant school opening; and what plans he has to reduce the time taken.
Answered by Edward Timpson
In cases where there is no existing school, the average length of time between an application for a free school being made and a brand new school opening is approximately eighteen months. There are instances where a free school is able to open in a shorter amount of time, for example, in the case of an existing independent school that wants to join the state sector.
Asked by: Bill Wiggin (Conservative - North Herefordshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications for free school status from applicants which already have premises have been refused.
Answered by Edward Timpson
The Department for Education does not hold the information in the form requested.
Whether applicants already have premises for their proposed school, and who provides those premises, are not, on their own, material factors in the decision to approve or reject a free school application. Rather, that decision is based principally on an assessment of the need for the school, the strength of the applicants' education plans and their ability to deliver a school that is financially viable and likely to be judged “good” or “outstanding” by Ofsted.