Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what criteria she used to determine which free schools should (a) be proceeded with and (b) not be proceeded with.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 15 December 2025, a Written Ministerial Statement was laid setting out outcomes of the mainstream free school pipeline review.
All free school projects in scope were evaluated in line with consistent criteria, focusing on assessing the local need for places and value for money. This included considering whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools. The department reviewed evidence provided by trusts and local authorities, as well as latest published data on pupil place planning, to determine whether there is strong evidence of the continued need for additional places.
We are proceeding with mainstream projects that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges or offer something unique for students who would otherwise not have access to it.
In the Walsall and Bloxwich constituency, the decision has been taken to proceed with the Swift Academy, to address urgent local secondary sufficiency pressure.
The department provides and retains responsibility for capital funding for the acquisition of sites and construction of free schools. The department also provides revenue funding, via project development grants, directly to proposers to cover essential non-capital costs prior to each school opening.
In 2016, the department invited trusts to submit proposals for new free schools to be funded and delivered through the central free school programme as part of application Wave 12. Swift Academy (then called Blakenall Free School) was approved in April 2017 following an application from The Windsor Academy Trust. All applications were assessed against published selection criteria and geographical context.
Local residents, interested parties and statutory bodies will be consulted prior to the school opening. As with all projects, Swift Academy will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to meet the need for places and provides value for money.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what date her Department made the decision to award the contract to the Windsor Academy Trust for the Swift Academy in Walsall; and who was consulted on that decision.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 15 December 2025, a Written Ministerial Statement was laid setting out outcomes of the mainstream free school pipeline review.
All free school projects in scope were evaluated in line with consistent criteria, focusing on assessing the local need for places and value for money. This included considering whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools. The department reviewed evidence provided by trusts and local authorities, as well as latest published data on pupil place planning, to determine whether there is strong evidence of the continued need for additional places.
We are proceeding with mainstream projects that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges or offer something unique for students who would otherwise not have access to it.
In the Walsall and Bloxwich constituency, the decision has been taken to proceed with the Swift Academy, to address urgent local secondary sufficiency pressure.
The department provides and retains responsibility for capital funding for the acquisition of sites and construction of free schools. The department also provides revenue funding, via project development grants, directly to proposers to cover essential non-capital costs prior to each school opening.
In 2016, the department invited trusts to submit proposals for new free schools to be funded and delivered through the central free school programme as part of application Wave 12. Swift Academy (then called Blakenall Free School) was approved in April 2017 following an application from The Windsor Academy Trust. All applications were assessed against published selection criteria and geographical context.
Local residents, interested parties and statutory bodies will be consulted prior to the school opening. As with all projects, Swift Academy will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to meet the need for places and provides value for money.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the allocation of funding for the Swift Academy in Walsall, which body will be (a) allocated and (b) accountable for that funding.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 15 December 2025, a Written Ministerial Statement was laid setting out outcomes of the mainstream free school pipeline review.
All free school projects in scope were evaluated in line with consistent criteria, focusing on assessing the local need for places and value for money. This included considering whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools. The department reviewed evidence provided by trusts and local authorities, as well as latest published data on pupil place planning, to determine whether there is strong evidence of the continued need for additional places.
We are proceeding with mainstream projects that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges or offer something unique for students who would otherwise not have access to it.
In the Walsall and Bloxwich constituency, the decision has been taken to proceed with the Swift Academy, to address urgent local secondary sufficiency pressure.
The department provides and retains responsibility for capital funding for the acquisition of sites and construction of free schools. The department also provides revenue funding, via project development grants, directly to proposers to cover essential non-capital costs prior to each school opening.
In 2016, the department invited trusts to submit proposals for new free schools to be funded and delivered through the central free school programme as part of application Wave 12. Swift Academy (then called Blakenall Free School) was approved in April 2017 following an application from The Windsor Academy Trust. All applications were assessed against published selection criteria and geographical context.
Local residents, interested parties and statutory bodies will be consulted prior to the school opening. As with all projects, Swift Academy will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to meet the need for places and provides value for money.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the £50m funding for the Swift Academy in Walsall, which other bodies applied for that funding.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 15 December 2025, a Written Ministerial Statement was laid setting out outcomes of the mainstream free school pipeline review.
All free school projects in scope were evaluated in line with consistent criteria, focusing on assessing the local need for places and value for money. This included considering whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools. The department reviewed evidence provided by trusts and local authorities, as well as latest published data on pupil place planning, to determine whether there is strong evidence of the continued need for additional places.
We are proceeding with mainstream projects that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges or offer something unique for students who would otherwise not have access to it.
In the Walsall and Bloxwich constituency, the decision has been taken to proceed with the Swift Academy, to address urgent local secondary sufficiency pressure.
The department provides and retains responsibility for capital funding for the acquisition of sites and construction of free schools. The department also provides revenue funding, via project development grants, directly to proposers to cover essential non-capital costs prior to each school opening.
In 2016, the department invited trusts to submit proposals for new free schools to be funded and delivered through the central free school programme as part of application Wave 12. Swift Academy (then called Blakenall Free School) was approved in April 2017 following an application from The Windsor Academy Trust. All applications were assessed against published selection criteria and geographical context.
Local residents, interested parties and statutory bodies will be consulted prior to the school opening. As with all projects, Swift Academy will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to meet the need for places and provides value for money.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, on what evidential basis she decided to proceed with funding the Swift Academy in Walsall and Bloxwich constituency.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
On 15 December 2025, a Written Ministerial Statement was laid setting out outcomes of the mainstream free school pipeline review.
All free school projects in scope were evaluated in line with consistent criteria, focusing on assessing the local need for places and value for money. This included considering whether projects would provide a distinctive local offer or risk negatively impacting other local schools. The department reviewed evidence provided by trusts and local authorities, as well as latest published data on pupil place planning, to determine whether there is strong evidence of the continued need for additional places.
We are proceeding with mainstream projects that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges or offer something unique for students who would otherwise not have access to it.
In the Walsall and Bloxwich constituency, the decision has been taken to proceed with the Swift Academy, to address urgent local secondary sufficiency pressure.
The department provides and retains responsibility for capital funding for the acquisition of sites and construction of free schools. The department also provides revenue funding, via project development grants, directly to proposers to cover essential non-capital costs prior to each school opening.
In 2016, the department invited trusts to submit proposals for new free schools to be funded and delivered through the central free school programme as part of application Wave 12. Swift Academy (then called Blakenall Free School) was approved in April 2017 following an application from The Windsor Academy Trust. All applications were assessed against published selection criteria and geographical context.
Local residents, interested parties and statutory bodies will be consulted prior to the school opening. As with all projects, Swift Academy will continue to be assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure it continues to meet the need for places and provides value for money.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact on UK publishers' exports of free access in overseas markets to UK government funded educational resources from Oak National Academy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is keeping the geo-restriction of Oak National Academy’s (Oak) resources under review. Oak does not promote or market its resources overseas.
The department recently completed a new market impact assessment of Oak, which was published in September 2025, and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact on UK publishers exports of free access in overseas markets to UK government funded educational resources from Oak National Academy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is keeping the geo-restriction of Oak National Academy’s (Oak) resources under review. Oak does not promote or market its resources overseas.
The department recently completed a new market impact assessment of Oak, which was published in September 2025, and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to limit access to Oak National Academy's government funded resources to the UK with the use of geo-blocking.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is keeping the geo-restriction of Oak National Academy’s (Oak) resources under review. Oak does not promote or market its resources overseas.
The department recently completed a new market impact assessment of Oak, which was published in September 2025, and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/oak-national-academy-independent-review-and-market-impact-assessment.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when she plans to respond to Question 76247, due for answer on 15 September 2025.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The response to Written Parliamentary Question 76247 was published on 16 October 2025.
Asked by: Valerie Vaz (Labour - Walsall and Bloxwich)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on free schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
High and rising standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every child has access to the best life chances whichever type of school they are in, including free schools.