Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what due diligence checks were undertaken on the (a) suitability to run and (b) experience and knowledge of running schools of the people who set up the Collective Spirit multi-academy trust.

The system for approving new free schools is underpinned by a rigorous application and evaluation process. Each application is considered against published criteria, focusing on the capacity and track record of proposers, with due diligence and financial viability checks carried out on them and affordability and value for money checks on the application.