Our monthly Free Schools Round Up will provide you with education headlines from the previous month, featuring key updates on each of the free school waves including education and academy news highlights.
Key Updates on Waves
Special Wave
The deadline for applicants has now passed for Stage 2 of the SEND free school wave. The published list of the 33 new special schools and their specifications previously announced can be found here. Applicants should expect to hear further news in November/December this year, with successful applicants to be announced in January 2024.
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 autumn 2023 following interviews in summer.
Wave 15
Successful wave 15 applications have now been confirmed, with a published list of all submitted applications available here. Applicants faced an initial round of assessment, followed by the interview stage, before successful applicants were informed of their application status. The published list of successful applications can be found here.
Free Schools in the News: This Month's Top Stories
A new task force has been activated by the UK government with the aim of reducing teacher workloads by 5 hours a week. The intention of reducing workload follows a government report revealing some teachers are working over 60 hours a week.
With comparative research beginning to emerge surrounding the pandemic, there is evidence to suggest that the emotional and mental health of young people in the UK declined throughout lockdown. The project was funded by Wellcome and various UK universities.
19 schools are anticipated to work together to form 15 hubs across England, with ministers having previously announced an expected £14.9 million to be put towards the network of English language hubs.
Parents of children with special needs in Northamptonshire protested against the lack of placements available in the area. The protests follow a repeated failure of the system to educate vulnerable children.
1/3 of Russell Group universities are now operating food banks to support their students as the rising cost of living continues to put financial pressure on students. Universities offering food banks include Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool and many more.
In an endeavour to support students through the cost of living, Bradfields Academy – a special school in Chatham – has been given a vending machine for books, funded by CPI and the Co-op. Students can use tokens earned for good work in lessons to purchase books, with 31% of the school's children unable to access books at home.
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