Those interested in running the schools – which, along with academy expansion, is one of the coalition government's flagship education policies – are being asked to submit a set of proposals to the Department for Education (DfE).
Proposals must include the aims and objectives of the school, a list of the main people involved and evidence that local parents want a free school in their area, such as a petition. Proposers also need to have scoped out possible premises.
Education Secretary Michael Gove says planning laws could be relaxed to make it easier for those wanting to run free schools to secure sites. Funding for free schools will also be a "top priority" for the DfE in the forthcoming spending review, he added.
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