A great impetus for any local campaign is a proposal for a new religiously selective school, or for existing schools to expand their intake.

To that end, the Fair Admissions Campaign has published lists of all proposed new schools and of schools proposing to expand (reproduced below). This includes ‘pre-approved’ Free Schools, local authorities currently seeking applications for Free Schools, Voluntary Aided schools due to open this September, and schools proposing to expand their intake through the Targeted Basic Need Programme. Together, these schools represent thousands of new religiously restricted places.

There are a range of ways you can get involved in the Campaign, such as starting a local group, or writing to your MP, AM, Councillors or newspapers.

To support individuals and groups the Campaign has produced images for websites, A5 leaflets and sign up sheets.

Is there a proposal in your area?

New religiously designated Free Schools

The following applications to open Free Schools with a religious character have been ‘pre-approved’ (i.e. backed) by the Department for Education to open. These schools can admit up to 50% of students on the grounds of religion, and all those listed as opening in 2013 intend to select (2014 schools may be yet to decide):

In addition, St Joseph’s Catholic College, a secondary school in Swindon, has acquired funding for 420 new school places by 2014 through the Targeted Basic Need Programme. In fact it is planned that this funding is used to provide a new primary school at another site in the town.

Finally, Wellington College (a Church of England private school) is to sponsor a new primary school opening in Tidworth, Wiltshire, due to open in September 2014, after the local authority invited proposals.

Religiously designated Voluntary Aided schools

We are aware of four schools that have been approved to open in September 2013 as Voluntary Aided schools. VA schools can religiously select up to 100% of pupils in admissions, if oversubscribed. The schools due to open are St Richard Reynolds Catholic Primary School and St Richard Reynolds Catholic High School in Richmond upon Thames, Pilgrims’ Cross CE Aided Primary School in Portsmouth, and Cornerstone Church of England Primary School in Hampshire.

Finally, there are proposals in Denbighshire to create a new Church in Wales/Roman Catholic VA secondary school, replacing separate Church in Wales and Catholic secondaries Blessed Edward Jones Catholic High School and St Brigid’s School.

Invitations for new school proposals

The following local authorities are currently seeking applications for Free Schools at the locations listed, any of which could result in the opening of a religiously selective school.

The following have recently closed to applications:

The following are currently open to applications. All have funding through the Targeted Basic Need Programme:

Local authorities have also been allocated funding to provide new schools in the following locations, through the Targeted Basic Need Programme:

Religiously selective schools proposing to expand their intake

The below sets out all the proposed school expansions we are aware of, namely where local authorities have been allocated funding to provide additional places in the following schools by 2015, through the Targeted Basic Need Programme.

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