The Education Secretary has approved 38 new free schools, which will bring the total number to 331 and will create an additional 22,000 school places across England.
Among the projects approved are Hoe Valley Primary School in Surrey which Michelmores’ Education Team supported through the application process. The project was conceived by a group of parents that were unhappy with the limited choice of education in their area. The education provided will be based around the National Curriculum using a flexible, innovative and personalised approach to teaching and learning. Michelmores also acts for Aspirations Academies Trust (AAT) who are working in partnership with Powerlist to deliver the newly approved Post 16 Leadership College in Lambeth. AAT have 9 Schools within their Multi Academy Trust including the country’s first two Space Studio Schools.
Bethan Jones, Partner at Michelmores said:
“Congratulations to all those schools which have been approved. We have been supporting proposer groups for over three years now and continue to be impressed by the passion, dedication and vision of those proposing new schools.”
The Michelmores Education Team has been involved in the Free Schools movement since the first wave of applications opened in 2011. The team has now worked with in excess of 40 applications across the various waves, as well as providing on-going support during both the pre and post-opening stage. Most recently the Team has been instructed by Toby Young’s West London Free School and acts for Bellevue Place Education Trust which will have three Primary Free Schools by September 2014 and has had three more approved in the latest round.
The full list of Free Schools approved in June 2014 can be found at New schools bring total number of free school places to 175000.