Opening new schools
Guidance on establishing new schools from 1 September 2026.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This guidance will come into force on 1 September 2026.
Before 1 September 2026, the free school presumption guidance continues to apply.
This guidance is for people and organisations interested in opening a new school, including:
- local authorities
- proposers of new schools
It describes the process for establishing new schools under section 7 and section 10 of the . You should read it in conjunction with the supporting annexes on this page.
The  changed the arrangements for establishing new schools, revoking section 6A and section 11 of the , and amending section 7 and section 10.
Local authorities can adapt the model specification in annex D to specify what they need from proposers.
New school proposers can use the proposal template in annex E to submit their proposals to the local authority.
Both local authorities and proposers should refer to the model criteria in annex F when seeking proposals or making applications.