Free school presumptions

The county council has a statutory duty to ensure that there are sufficient school places for all children and young people living in Staffordshire.

In accordance with section 6A of the Education Act 2011, we actively promote a diverse supply of strong schools, including encouraging good schools to expand where there is a need and, where there is a need for a new school, seeking proposals for a free school.

Over the next five years, the county council plans to publish free school presumptions to seek academy trust sponsors for four new schools:

• Lichfield – St. John’s Grange (Shortbutts Lane) - primary
• Stafford – Burleyfields (West SDL site) - primary
• Stafford – North SDL site - secondary
• Burton upon Trent – Beamhill - primary

Details of the new school presumptions process for these schools will be available on this page at the appropriate time. 

Any interested parties should check this page regularly for news on when the process will commence for each school.

Current Free School Presumptions

Staffordshire County Council has identified the need to establish two new free schools to open at the earliest by September 2025. 

• Burleyfields in Stafford
• St John’s Grange in Lichfield

Both schools will be mainstream, co-educational primary schools for Reception to Year 6 children (aged 5-11) plus early years provision. 

Both schools will open with a Published Admission Number of 30. In the first year of opening, children will be admitted into nursery and Reception only, in the second year of opening a further Reception intake will be admitted and both schools will grow incrementally in this way until there are pupils in all age groups, 7 years after opening.

To meet future population need, both schools will have 2FE capacity (or 420 places). The decision when to increase capacity will be taken in agreement with the academy trust, local authority and Department for Education at an appropriate time, in accordance with the local authority’s statutory duty of securing sufficient school places. 

Burleyfields in Stafford

The date for submission of bids has now closed and further information on the successful sponsor will be published in due course.

St John’s Grange in Lichfield

We are now seeking proposals from academy trusts to deliver high quality education at a new primary school located on this new housing development.

The specification for the new school can be found below:

Annex A: Free School Presumption specification for St John’s Grange, Lichfield (418 KB) 

Spreadsheet to be completed for primary phase schools in your trust (13 KB)

The closing date for submission of bids is 5.00 pm on Friday 26 April. Please return your completed application by the deadline to the School Organisation Team.

school.organisation@staffordshire.gov.uk

NB It is the sponsor’s responsibility to check here regularly for any additional information provided by the county council during this process.

Summary of representations received during the public consultation for - New Primary School Burleyfields.

Summary of representations received during the public consultation for - New Primary School at St. John's Grange, Lichfield.