New School Applications
Applying to open a new school is a significant and rewarding undertaking, and we’re here to guide you through every step of the process to make it as smooth and successful as possible. Our new school application support is a comprehensive service designed to assist you from initial concept to final approval, ensuring your application is complete, compliant, and competitive.
What can we do for you?
- Full Application Strategy & Guidance: We develop a tailored strategy to ensure your application meets all Local Authority (LA) and Department for Education (DfE) requirements, with a clear roadmap from start to finish.
- Detailed Application Plan & Timeline: Creating a step-by-step plan with key milestones, deadlines, and roles, ensuring timely and effective delivery.
- Bid Writing & Submission: Offering expert writing, research, quality assurance, and editing of all application documents to ensure they meet DfE and LA criteria.
- Compliance & Regulatory Support: We help ensure your application meets all legal, regulatory, and compliance standards, giving you peace of mind throughout the process.
- Stakeholder Identification & Relationship Building: We help you identify key stakeholders, such as local communities, parents, educational professionals, and potential partners. We encourage thinking around building relationships and forming strategic partnerships that will strengthen your application and support your bid.
- Governance Planning & Staffing Considerations: We will assist in identifying potential individuals who could be put forward to support the bid should it be approved. Additionally, we help you consider staffing structures, providing the Local Authority (LA) and Department for Education (DfE) with a clear example of how you plan to run the school and the key roles required for its success.
- Funding & Financial Planning: Offering advice on funding opportunities, financial viability, and resource management to strengthen your bid.
- Ongoing Post-Submission Support: Providing continued advice and assistance after submission, including responding to feedback and managing next steps.
What our clients think:
OAKBRIDGE CHURCH OF ENGLAND PRIMARY SCHOOL - New Primary School
DAMIAN CHUBB, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, DALES ACADEMIES TRUST
“GKA have worked with Dales since its formation in 2017 and were instrumental in the successful application for the new school. They have been an extended member of our team leading on key aspects of the project, particularly in the areas of the build, consultation and compliance. We are on track to open on time; GKA’s final activities will include managing the build handover, FF&E delivery and ICT install, as well as community engagement.”
Gilbert Ward Academy - New Special Free School (SEMH)
CHRIS RICHARDSON, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER PROSPER LEARNING TRUST
“GKA supported the Trust through every phase of the Free School process which culminated in the opening of Gilbert Ward Academy in September 2023. Their engagement with the project started years earlier when they coordinated the writing of the initial bid to the DfE, providing a detailed project plan for the bidding process and a continual loop of quality assurance activity based on their extensive experience of the sector and the process. This included support for and participation in the DfE interview which resulted in the Trust being appointed as the lead partner in the project. GKA then supported us through the entire pre-opening phase by once again producing and monitoring a sophisticated project plan and supporting the steering group and associated committees which transitioned the school to its successful opening.
GKA are experts in this field. They have an intuitive understanding of the guidance and regulations and extensive contacts in associated organisations. They marry this with robust internal protocols around project planning, management and quality assurance. They work hard, meet deadlines and deliver their service to a consistently high standard. Importantly they instill confidence in all the relevant stakeholders and are responsive and approachable at all times.
GKA have now supported Prosper Learning Trust with two successful Free Schools and are currently supporting a third into its pre-opening phase.”
ELEMENTS ACADEMY - New Special Free School (SEMH)
JAYNE FOSTER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, ETHOS ACADEMY TRUST
“We have worked with GKA since 2017 – prior to the formation of Ethos Academy Trust. Their work with us at Elements Academy was exemplary and without them we would not have achieved the extremely challenging timeframe of delivery within 8 months from start to finish! The team was professional and really guided us through our first free school project with great care and rigour.”
Harry Watts Academy - New Special School (ASD)
JOANNE CLIFFORD-SWAN, MEMBER AND CHAIR OF TRUSTEES, PROSPER LEARNING TRUST
“GKA supported us through the entire process from application, interview and pre-opening through to opening on a temporary site to subsequently opening the new school. With numerous challenges during the process due to Covid GKA were unphased and solutions focused, guiding us through the project through to delivery. Key deliverables included; procurement of major ICT and FF&E contracts, appointment of a PD and a successful pre-opening Ofsted.”