Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that free schools have the same proportion of disadvantaged pupils as their local catchment area.

Closing the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils is a priority for the government. As of 1 March 2019, there are 443 open free schools. These will provide over 250,000 places when at capacity. Over 40% of free schools are open in the 30% most deprived areas in the country.

The department expects that free school education plans and policies should be designed to improve outcomes and enhance the life chances of all children in the local community. We also expect trusts to market their school to attract pupils from a diverse range of backgrounds, including those who are disadvantaged. Free school admission policies must comply with the School Admissions Code to ensure that places are allocated in an open and fair way. This document is attached.

The department is currently assessing wave 13 applications for mainstream free schools. Wave 13 targets the local authority districts identified by the department as having the lowest standards and capacity to improve. By putting good new schools in areas where they are most needed, the free schools programme will enhance the life chances of children in these communities. When assessing applications, the department will consider how the applicant group has targeted disadvantaged pupils and plans to attract applications from these groups.

In January 2019, the department published our criteria for mainstream free school applications in wave 14. Wave 14 is similarly targeted at the areas of the country with the lowest educational standards, where opening a new free school can have the greatest impact on improving outcomes. This includes areas where disadvantaged pupils are being particularly poorly served by local schools.