Hampshire - delivering excellence in education 

Proposers must have an ambitious vision for the Academy, setting high expectations for both pupils and staff. There should be a strong culture of working in collaboration with other schools, education providers and Local Authorities. Academy Proposers must also be able to demonstrate their approach to effective engagement with partner agencies and services which contribute to improving children’s outcomes in the local area. A commitment to inclusion and ensuring strong outcomes for all vulnerable groups is essential. Relationships with pupils, parents and carers and other local stakeholders should be open, purposeful and viewed positively by all.

Applicants should take account of the relevant criteria in Annex C of the free school presumption guidance:

Free school presumption - Model criteria for local authorities and proposers (publishing.service.gov.uk)

As a minimum, Proposers should include details of the following:

• A strong educational vision and a curriculum delivery based on high standards of attainment for each key stage
• Plans for appropriate engagement with the local community and parents during the pre-opening period and any on-going engagement
• Excellent support facilities to meet the needs of all children, including looked after children, children experiencing disadvantage and those with special educational needs
• A commitment to excellent outcomes for all children and high quality of teaching and learning

Section D - Education Plan

Teaching and Learning - Academy Proposers will be expected to:

• Provide a sustainable good or outstanding school with an exciting and inspiring broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils
• Maintain a rigorous focus on educational standards for all children and ensure that attainment is above or in line with national outcomes
• Ensure an inclusive learning environment in which all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those with disabilities, are supported and enabled to achieve well
• Promote good pupil behaviour, and an ethos that fosters pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development
• Ensure that pupils are kept safe and secure, and away from harm
• Seek out and share best practice within and beyond the school, promoting innovation and creativity in learning and teaching
• Implement rigorous processes of self-evaluation and continual improvement, including recognising the importance of children and young people’s voice in these processes
• Ensuring pupils understand how to improve their learning as a result of frequent, detailed and accurate feedback from teachers following assessment of their learning
• Ensure gaps in achievement for pupils from vulnerable groups are smaller than the national average and continuing to close
• Attract, retain and develop the highest quality teachers and support staff to ensure good or better teaching and learning, and effective and motivated workforces
• Make learning as successful as possible through the appropriate use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in all areas of the curriculum

Applicants should take account of the relevant criteria in Annex C of the free school presumption guidance:

Free school presumption - Model criteria for local authorities and proposers (publishing.service.gov.uk)

As a minimum, Proposers should include details of the following:

• An ambitious, broad and balanced, deliverable curriculum plan which is consistent with the vision and pupil intake
• Strategies for measuring pupil performance effectively and setting challenging targets
• A staffing structure that will deliver the planned curriculum within the expected income levels; with a focus on outstanding teaching (including strategies for effective performance management). This could also include an organogram and staff build up chart
• The needs of all children are fully provided for and how the school will be fully inclusive
• Details of enrichment and extended services, for example, breakfast clubs, sports clubs, homework clubs and music/art clubs
• The school’s approach to: PHSE; the Prevent Duty; safeguarding and welfare; and promoting fundamental British values (democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs)

Section E - Capacity and Capability

Leadership and Governance - All potential Academy Proposers will be expected to provide details to show how they will:

• Deliver high quality leadership, management and governance
• Implement strong, effective and dynamic governance arrangements
• Achieve robust and effective financial management

Applicants should take account of the relevant criteria in Annex C of the free school presumption guidance:

Free school presumption - Model criteria for local authorities and proposers (publishing.service.gov.uk)

As a minimum, Proposers should include details of the following:

• The resources you would draw on and/or deploy to support the development of the new free school by the opening date
• Clear evidence that you have the range of skills and abilities necessary to set up and then run a school effectively, including: managing school finances; leadership; project management; marketing; human resources; safeguarding; and health and safety
• How the school would be organised and what the governance arrangements would look like, including a diagram of the proposed structures.