Threshold Raised

The Wave 14 batch of successful applications were announced at the beginning of the month, and with it, this revelation: "Like the previous wave, applicants to wave 14 were required to demonstrate a “basic need” for places in their area, as well as evidence that their school would serve an area of educational underperformance."

This represents a huge raising of the bar for getting a new school approved and is a bitter blow for our dream of a school in Godmanchester, as we now have to prove not only that there are insufficient places in the existing schools, Hinchingbrooke and St.Peter's, but that they are also poorly performing.

Wave 14 comprised only 21 schools and Wave 13 only 22, in contrast to the 130 approved at Wave 12.

More indications that the Conservative Government's enthusiasm for Free Schools has waned since 2015 when their manifesto promised 500 new Free Schools in the next 5 years.

Free schools: DfE announces wave 14 successful bidders (schoolsweek.co.uk)