Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 3 November 2014 to Question 211963, if she will provide a list of the specified derogations from the Admissions Code that have been made by 54 free schools.

All academies and free schools must comply with the School Admissions Code. This ensures their admission arrangements are fair, clear and objective.

However, in limited circumstances, the Secretary of State has agreed different arrangements for academies and free schools, where she is content that to do so will benefit local children. Such schools must comply with the Code other than in the very limited circumstances specified by the Secretary of State.

Whilst, at the time of replying to Question 211963, we explained that the Secretary of State had agreed specific freedoms for 54 free schools (including UTCs), that list now stands at 56, and is set out as attached.