Having already worked with main proposers across
the entire spectrum of Free Schools, we are fully
aware of the demands that are placed on Proposer groups
- from the weight of expectation placed on Proposers
by their communities, to the sheer volume of work
that is required at each stage.
Place Group never loses sight of
the fact that Proposers are giving their time and
energy free of charge - to make a difference to the
lives of children, young people and their communities.
Our specialists are there to offer support, guidance
and pragmatic options for you to consider, in order
to make the process as smooth as possible and to ‘create
time’ for you.
We do this by offering the following
support, delivered by open and honest consultants
who will work with you to achieve your goals, or explain
why certain aspects are unattainable:
- Development of a collaborative
web portal for your organisation – including
specific templates and processes which we have created,
to assist you in building the proposal.
- Creation and management
of a detailed Project Plan, and recommendations
on the way in which you should organise your internal
resources, in order to assist you in achieving the
objective.
- A range of ‘scenario
planning’ activities which will help you to
clearly demonstrate the financial aspects of the
proposal and to determine the school’s viability.
- Assistance with the
development of a media plan to support the proposal,
helping you to build and maintain local community
support through public meetings and local media.
- Creation of a comprehensive
and credible Free School proposal, which will exceed
the DfE’s updated requirements and accelerate
you successfully through the approval process.
Starting the process
There are many ways in which Place’s Free School
specialists can help you in developing your initial
proposal for a 2012 school opening. This support spans
the full requirement of the new process - as well
as other areas which we believe are crucial opening
a successful school in 2012, and guaranteeing success
in its formative years.
Having been responsible for
producing the first Business Case to be signed off
for a 2011 Free School, Place has since worked on
- and received DfE approval for - a number of others.
The requirements of the original Business Case were
similar, or even slightly more demanding in fact,
than the revised Free School Application Process,
so you can be sure that we will be able to help you
create a strong proposition that presents your vision
in the best possible light.
Establishing a vehicle
to open your school
There is now a requirement to have established a suitable
Trust organisation before submitting a Free School
proposal. We can help you with this in the following
ways:
- Advice and support in
setting up a Trust (a company which is ‘limited
by guarantee’) as the legal mechanism behind
the school, and in controlling its assets.
- Assistance in the process
of making sure that the Memorandum and Articles
of Association is approved by the DfE swiftly and
without any issues.
- Support in ensuring that
the new Free School will meet all of the conditions
of the DfE’s Funding Agreement for Free Schools.
- Help and advice during
the process of appointing the Governing Body –
to ensure that this is an effective team, all of
whom who have the necessary skills and experience
required in order to achieve everything that your
school has set out to do.
Brokering Support
Some Proposers are keen to explore how third-party
organisations can help them to realise their Free
School ambitions. This can range from specific assistance
during the process, to a complete outsourcing of the
running of the school. As an established name in the
education sector, Place has excellent connections
with a number of high quality organisations, ranging
from Outstanding Schools and Academies through to
School Business Management specialists and existing
Academy Sponsors. We have also acted as advisor to
many Free School groups to assess their needs, and
to establish how they can engage with appropriate
providers in a transparent procurement process.
To find out more about
these services or for general advice, please email
tom.legge@place-group.com
