Special Free School competition

Bury Council is seeking proposals from trusts across the north west and nationwide who are interested in opening a new special free school. 

The new 60-place special school, planned to open in September 2025, will serve pupils between the ages of 11-16 and cater for children and young people with Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) needs. The council also expects there to be a large degree of co-existence with other Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), such as Autistic Spectrum Condition (ASC). The school will act as a centre of excellence in the area, providing staff training and development locally, as well as multi-disciplinary outreach services.

Applications are now open, with the deadline to submit set for Friday 21 October 2022.

Interested proposers are advised to get in touch with Create:Schools, the sole supplier of free school support and advice for the DfE. 
 
For more information about the prospective school, please see the  Bury Special Free school specification [4Mb] (this document is not fully accessible, see Accessible documents)

Guidance on how to apply and application forms for proposer groups are available at Gov.uk - Special free school applications.