Finding a suitable site is one of the most common obstacles faced by Free School applicants. Applicant groups should consider surplus or under-utilised government and other public buildings as potential sites for their proposed school, as they have the potential to offer cost-effective site solutions. A wide range of public buildings could provide suitable accommodation for a Free School, for example, disused office buildings.
To assist groups with searching for the best location for their school, we have developed the ‘Free School kit’, an online map browser that allows groups to explore locations. The map includes contextual information about local schools and also lists surplus government and publicly owned properties.
The Free Schools kit was originally created by Partnerships for Schools (PfS), the arms length body created to deliver the Department for Education’s capital programmes, including identifying and securing sites for Free Schools. However, on the 1 April, as part of the Government’s drive to improve the transparency, accountability and efficiency of the education system, Partnerships for Schools closed and its functions - including all Free School delivery functions - transferred to the new Education Funding Agency (EFA), an executive agency of the Department for Education.
The Free Schools kit will continue to be accessible and contain the latest information available, but you might notice some residual PfS branding which we will remove shortly.
If you are thinking about applying to set up a Free School you can contact the Education Funding Agency for advice and guidance on finding a site at
