The PAG Newsletter – Issue 12
The PAG Newsletter – Issue 12
Introduction from Tom Legge
Hello, and a warm welcome to Issue 12 of the PAG Newsletter! We are thrilled to be celebrating the first anniversary of the PAG Newsletter with you. Your engagement and support have been the cornerstone of this community, and we eagerly anticipate another year of shared growth.?
The headline this month is the DfE’s SEND Wave 3 HTAG launch. This significant announcement opens the application window for proposers who are keen to establish SEND free schools across 30 Local Authorities. In this issue, we delve into the application process and discuss capital considerations for Wave 3. This feature aims to provide invaluable insights into key dates, bid writing, and capital considerations for those navigating the complexities of establishing and maintaining a SEND free school.?
In celebration of our first anniversary, this issue also offers a comprehensive guide on opening an independent school, alongside an exploration of the latest initiatives in early years provision.?
Thank you for being a vital part of our journey over the past year. As always, we appreciate you taking the time to read our newsletter. Do not forget to follow PAG on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay updated with the latest insights in the world of education.?
Wave 3 How To Apply Guide (HTAG) Announcement
By Ernestina Alvarez Corona
The DfE has today released the SEND free school How To Apply Guide (HTAG). This is a call to all proposers who wish to make a significant difference by opening a new special free school within the selected Local Authorities.?
To initiate the process, applicants must express their interest by 16th June.? Following this, applicants will have until 31st August to prepare and submit a detailed and compelling final proposal.?
At PAG we provide sector-leading technical authoring and support services tailored to guide you through each step of the process. Our expertise is built on a proven track record of supporting successful bids across all free school waves.?
With PAG's guidance, more than 90% of our supported bids have progressed to the interview stage. Our comprehensive support encompasses understanding the requirements, helping articulate your unique vision, offering insights into effective bid writing, and preparing you for the interview stage. To secure your success in SEND Wave 3, contact our team of experts here.??
Free Schools Waves Updated – Create: Schools?
By Charlotte Reece
Proposers from all over the country can now start preparing their applications as part of the DfE's official special school application process in an effort to sponsor a new special free school in their preferred Local Authority.?
The Department for Education has authorised up to 60 Special and AP free schools to start operating in September 2025, adding around 4,500 spots. Special free schools will be established where there is a demonstrable demographic need for such, offering great support for some of our most vulnerable children and young people. You can find all the successful LAs and the schools they bid for here.?
The benefits of having a special free school are vast, providing specific, knowledgeable support, and resources. Bidding through this wave will give applicants the opportunity to provide highly customised and encouraging schools, concentrating on unresolved educational needs. For many Local Authorities, having a special free school will mean that pupils spend less time travelling out of the locality to get the support they need, freeing up their time to be filled with something more productive. Not to mention, by spending less budget on transport costs to send pupils out of the area, Local Authorities will be able to implement a larger proportion of financial resources elsewhere.?
Pupils with a range of various social, emotional, educational, and medical needs will receive appropriate support through this system. Supporting a new special school is also very beneficial for the community as a whole. These provisions have the capacity to become hubs for outreach, providing expertise and best practice to other schools to support integration and inclusion throughout settings.?
To find out more about what a special free school means for the community, read our latest blog here.
2. Alternative Provision
With applications submitted, we are awaiting further communication from the DfE as to when interviews will begin. Proposer groups for AP were comprised of at least one lead applicant and one local authority. Create: Schools offer advice and support to prepare for Department for Education interviews, please get in touch with us, or your advisor, if this is something you would be interested in.?
3. Mainstream
We are awaiting an update from the DfE in regard to the status of interviews. Successful proposers are due to be announced soon.?
To access our support, or to hear more about the free school process please contact [email protected]?
Capital Considerations for SEND Wave 3 – AMR
By Gabriel Senior
There are many major considerations for trusts applying to open a new SEND free school, such as the curriculum it will implement or recruiting the best people to run it. Perhaps one of the most important aspects of the new school is the land and buildings which provide staff and students with a suitable environment for education to be delivered in. In this article, our capital partners AMR Consult explain the important capital aspects of the process which all trusts should be considering when applying.?
Site selection is an incredibly important element in the process of setting up a free school. The site plays a crucial role in ensuring that a new school thrives and delivers outstanding education in a manner that works for both the pupils and staff. Whilst the responsibility for finding sites predominantly lies with the LA, a suitable site is not always in place already.??
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With this in mind, applicants are able to propose sites as part of their application where a suitable one has been identified. If you have land or sites that could potentially accommodate a free school of the size proposed, we recommend undertaking initial site appraisals to determine if these are appropriate in the first instance.??
You should be looking at:?
AMR consult have assisted in the delivery of around 60 free schools to date, both in the application process and as client technical advisers during delivery. They are well placed to support applicants with site identification and statements around competence and experience of the capital delivery programme.?
If you would like to book a no obligation discussion with one of their expert team to discuss capital related queries, click here.?
Opening an Independent School
By Danielle Corley
Why open an independent school???
The increasing demand for high-quality AP and SEND provision, coupled with the limited opportunities to establish new schools through DfE free school waves and LA competitions, means opening an independent school may be the best way for a MAT, individual, or organisation to meet local educational need. ??
Independent schools, or private schools, are not funded by the government (although they must be registered with the government) and therefore may charge school fees and have more freedom in terms of admissions, fees, and curriculum.??
Half of independent schools in England are inspected by Ofsted, while the other half – those that are a part of associations that form the Independent Schools Council – are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate.??
How to open an independent school??
Determining whether and how to set up an independent school requires careful consideration of key questions like:??
It is a several stage process, which involves conducting a feasibility study, developing a business plan, scoping and planning for procurement and funding, and finally pre-opening project management.??
PAG has directly supported the development of hundreds of new schools. Our understanding of the motives, stakeholders, and sequences of events that result in meaningful growth has directly led to the successful development of trusts and schools across the UK. This work has involved a range of services including project initiation and strategy development, market feasibility and analysis, business planning, and project management. We are now bringing our expertise in these areas to support clients seeking to open independent provision.??
If you are interested in support for opening an independent school, whether as a MAT or an individual, please get in contact here.?
Childcare Sufficiency Assessments
By Savannah Chapman
PAG has always been involved in the Early Years sector and we have experience stretching back to the days of childcare audits in the early days of Sure Start and the Childcare Act 2006. More recently we have undertaken full Childcare Sufficiency Assessments (CSAs) for over 30 Local Authorities in England and Wales.??
The research that we do for CSAs looks into the take up of funding in the respective boroughs/counties and uses publicly available datasets to analyse how much families are taking advantage of available free hours. We also typically survey/interview parents around their thoughts and experiences on accessing these, if the local authority requests it. A common theme that we have found through our work in this sector, is that the access routes to 2-year-old funding, 3-4-year old funding etc. is too complicated. ?
The recent spring budget announced a wider approach to funded hours. ?The Government has announced that ￡4.1 billion will be made available by 2027-2028 to deliver 30 hours of free childcare for eligible working parents of children aged from 9 months to 3 years old in England, and families will be able to access these entitlements from September 2025.?
This in theory should make it easier for parents to access, and we would hope that take-up of funded hours will increase as a result. Since this new childcare funding is aimed at getting parents back into work, this could impact the economic background in a local authority, and this is something we can analyse the effect of in a CSA. It's important to note there are a rising number of childcare providers having to close due to lack of funding in general and there are some who are sceptical about the effectiveness of proposed approach. ?
Currently, in England, there is no legal requirement to conduct a CSA, however they are highly beneficial for a local authority to ensure that Early Years needs are being met in their area. If you would like to get in touch with PAG to find out more about our CSA service, please get in touch here.??
You can also read more about Childcare Sufficiency Assessments on our website here.
Live Bids
For more information on current opportunities, you can check out the live bids page on our website?here.
Key Dates
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