New school competitions

The Government wants every child to receive an excellent education, whatever their background and wherever they live. A key part of that vision is to create a more diverse education sector where:

a range of individuals, groups, organisations and institutions get involved in setting up schools, bringing new energy, ideas and skills
schools each have their own character and ethos
excellence and choice are the norm.

The White Paper Higher Standards, Better Schools for All published in October 2005 sets out an agenda for local authorities to become the commissioners rather than the providers of educational services, and champions of pupils and parents.

This was taken up by the Education and Inspections Act 2006, which compels local authorities to invite proposals for a new school from a range of providers in a competition where they:

identify a need for a brand new school; or
wish to rationalise existing provision, close two or more schools and replace them with a new school; or
wish to close a failing school and reopen it as a new school.

The legislation applies to primary, secondary and special schools for children of compulsory school age.

In addition, there are restrictions on local authorities to publish proposals for new community schools - with or without a competition.

In the majority of cases, local authorities will need to seek the consent of the Secretary of State if they wish to enter proposals for a new community school.

A local authority does not have to hold a competition in the following cases:

where an existing school is to be rebuilt on the same site or set up on a new site
where the local authority wishes to work with a sponsor to set up an Academy
where the school is a 16-19 school.

Where a competition would normally be required, the Secretary of State may exceptionally give his consent for a local authority, or a proposer, to publish proposals to set up a new school outside of a competition in the light of local circumstances.

All cases are considered on their merits, but there could be grounds for an exemption from a competition. These could include proposals that would increase diversity in the area, proposals to merge an infant and a junior school into an all-through primary or where a school with a particular religious character was proposed to replace schools with the same religious character.

There is no role for central Government in the running of individual school competitions, but we want to encourage a range of good quality proposals from a diverse range of providers to be entered into competitions.

New school competitions

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