Our monthly Free Schools Round Up will provide you with last month’s education headlines, featuring key updates on each of the free school waves including free school and academy news highlights.
Key Updates on Waves
At Create: Schools we are able to offer free support with your application, if you require a review of your bid or have any further queries, please contact us via our contact form here.
AP Wave
The final deadline for AP partnerships to submit their applications passed on the 17th of February. Applications are now in the assessment stage, with successful submissions to be announced early autumn 2023 following interviews in summer. In advance of the interview stage, AP applicants may wish to begin preparing for the next steps in the assessment process. For further support in the meantime, please see our guidance for interviews.
Wave 15
The deadline has passed for mainstream application submissions, with the interview stage of assessment complete. At this stage, applicants should have received news from the DfE, if you are yet to receive information, then we urge you to get in contact with the DfE regarding the application outcome.
Special Wave
In October 2022, the application window for the first stage of the special wave closed. Successful local authorities have been announced, proposer groups will now have until 16th June to submit their pre-registration and until 31st August to write their applications. The published list of successful local authorities and their specifications can be found here. Engagement events for successful local authorities are ongoing, for further information please see our events page.
Free Schools in the News: This Month's Top Stories
Oak National Academy: resource sharing Oak National Academy's online resources are now available to be adapted and amended following changes to their copyright, allowing the lessons to be developed free of charge.
A report by the School Improvement and Advisory Service (SIAS) has identified the need to maintain ongoing support for students following the pandemic. Whilst all groups were found to have made progress despite the interruptions to teaching and learning, there is an identified need for education recovery programmes to continue.
Closure of 167-year-old primary school The decision to close a village primary school in Skelton-on-Ure with one pupil has been confirmed after the school continually saw a decline in pupil numbers in recent years. The building is being considered for future use as a school, should need in the area begin to rise.
Starting in June 2023, parents on universal credit will be entitled to further financial support to cover childcare costs, in the hopes that ability to access childcare support will encourage an increase to the workforce. The funding increase of 47% across Britain was announced through the 2023 Budget.
Following guidance from the government, schools will be told to ensure pupils are aware of the health risks of vaping. Measures such as exclusions and toilet bans will be considered for pupils who vape on school site, in order to prevent the growth of popularity of e-cigarettes.
A team of students from Hayle will be travelling to Boston USA to compete in the international Lego League. The students have also used their innovation and problem-solving skills to challenge local community issues, such as food waste collection.
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