Create: Schools
Create: Schools was established by PAG in 2022 to act as the Department for Education’s (DfE) sole delivery partner for the free school applicant support service.
The services provided by Create: Schools are delivered by a team of expert advisors, who are committed to providing bespoke and tailored advice to any organisation or individual interested in opening their own free school. The team worked intensively with proposers during the recent free school waves to develop competitive, high-quality applications in line with the DfE’s criteria and application guidance.
To get in touch with Create: Schools directly, or to find out more, please visit the Create: Schools website.
Create: Schools services
Outside of its DfE-sanctioned work, Create: Schools can provide a range of other services delivered by experts who have worked at the frontline of the free schools programme with hundreds of schools, trusts, and local authorities (LA).
To find out more about what Create: Schools can offer, continue reading below or visit the Create: Schools website.
SEND funding & mainstream inclusion
In the wake of Labour's general election victory in 2024, the new government promised £740m to be spent on improving standards in supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
At Create: Schools, we are working closely with both multi-academy trusts (MAT) and local authorities to strengthen collaboration, showcase best practise, and support evidence-based proposals that align with the government’s push for mainstream inclusion. With SEND remaining a critical priority in both policy and funding discussions, there is a significant opportunity for both LAs and MATs to position themselves as key drivers in delivering high-quality, inclusive provision in their communities.
Many are already taking proactive steps to ensure they are well-positioned for funding, and we are finding:
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Early engagement between trusts and local authorities strengthens positioning over funding allocations
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A focus on mainstream inclusion aligns directly with the government’s priorities
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Evidence-based proposals showcasing best practise are proving most compelling
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Strengthening collaboration with key stakeholders improves local ties
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Developing evidence-based proposals demonstrates alignment with funding priorities
Bid reviews
Having spent a number of years delivering the DfE's free school applicant support service, Create: Schools' advisors have a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to reviewing bids - from LA presumption competitions to tender submissions.
From full-scale rewrites to finalising tweaks, Create: Schools has played a part in hundreds of successful bids and could be the difference between success and failure. We can provide:
1. Collaborative bid‑writing partnership
Work shoulder‑to‑shoulder with our consultants. We co‑create strategy, draft compelling narratives, and manage clarifications - typically achieving a 90 % interview‑progression rate.
2. Independent bid review
Already comfortable with your draft? Our forensic review pinpoints gaps, elevates technical language, and aligns scoring matrices - perfect for tighter budgets or last‑mile polishing.
Our 3‑step optimisation process
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Diagnose: We benchmark your draft against criteria and recent winning submissions.
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Review: Senior consultants stress‑test every response, providing line‑by‑line feedback.
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Precision re-writing: We refine language, data visualisation and compliance, ready for submission.
Local Authority support
Create: Schools has built strong relationships with dozens of local authorities, streamlining processes during Free School Waves and demonstrating the value of sustained collaboration. These existing relationships, combined with the team's stellar sector knowledge, mean C:S continues to work with LAs outside of the Central Waves on a number of different initiatives and projects.
Whether navigating funding challenges, delivering new provision, or building and maintaining stakeholder relationships, Create: Schools remains a closely trusted partner of local authorities up and down the country.
As well as the above, Create: Schools can work with LAs on:
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Supporting the delivery of LA-initiated schools and ensuring fair competition
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Providing guidance following policy to enable trusts and/or authorities to open schools seamlessly
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Supporting with work such as feasibility studies, strategy implementation, and guidance where required
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Organising engagement events and continually ensuring transparency through routes to set up new schools
Research
The trusting partnerships we have established with LAs and trusts enable Create: Schools to conduct research and provide comprehensive feasibility reports. Using industry leading tools and platforms, we deliver detailed analyses to help LAs identify key pressure points, allocate resources effectively, and develop robust sufficiency strategies.
Through extensive work throughout the sector, Create: Schools can deliver comprehensive research projects by being able to lean on:
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Years-long relationships with schools, trusts, and LAs
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A unique understanding of the needs and demands of the sector
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Extensive experience working at school/trust, local government, and national government levels
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A decade of sector experience through our colleagues at PAG
Independent school registration guidance session
Opening an independent school is a significant undertaking. It comes with complexity, bureaucracy and cost. None of these issues are insurmountable if there is a need for provision where you are looking to set up.
From navigating regulatory frameworks to ensuring financial viability, building a team to stakeholder support, initial decisions will define the long-term success of your project.
Create: Schools’ Discovery Session will help you understand what’s required, where to start and most importantly, if to start. Whatever your background, this session offers expert-led insights tailored to your specific context. It will pull no punches if we believe your idea will not work, saving you time, money, and potential disappointment.
This is not a sales call. It’s a strategy-led, consultancy session that delivers real value – even if you decide not to proceed. You'll leave with an informed assessment of your position and a roadmap for what’s next, enabling you to make confident, evidence-based decisions – or going back to the drawing board.
In this focused, high-value session, our consultants will walk you through:
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The national and local landscape – including high level demographic insights, current sector challenges and opportunities through the C:S network.
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The full process and timeline – an outline of the establishment process from feasibility to school launch.
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Legal, financial, and site factors – the cornerstones of all projects – without clarity here, you’re going nowhere.
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Common risks and practical strategies – practical tips based on our deep experience in school establishment.
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Q&A – time to explore your ideas, context, and queries in detail.
Project management
Project Management
With our well-rounded expertise and significant experience, C:S offers an initial ‘light-touch’ level of project management support. Accessible through both C:S and PAG team members alike, and whilst ensuring DfE projects remain on track, we are uniquely placed to work with you on pre-opening due to existing, open relationships and many years of supporting on new provision.
Amongst many others, the benefits of working with Create: Schools on your pre-opening project management include:
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Ensuring new school projects remain on track and are compliant with all necessary standards to eliminate delays with pre-opening
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Improving submission quality of relevant documentation utilising the skill set of both C:S and PAG
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A deep, unique understanding of the sector and the work surrounding new provision
What our clients say
The Mead Educational Trust
“Working with Create: Schools was very beneficial to us. Our Advisor was extremely approachable and had expert knowledge about the bid process and criteria. Responses were very prompt with useful advice and challenges to help us to improve our application.”
Reach South Academy Trust