Create: Schools Partnership

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. By providing expert independent advice and guidance to proposer groups, Create:Schools will support the creation of new mainstream, special and alternative provision (AP) free schools in areas where they are most needed across the country.

Our firm has been advising clients on academy formation and development for almost two decades. During this time, we have acted for thousands of academy schools, supporting over 1800 completed academy projects, including over 1450 conversions. Our team is led by Graham Burns who set up the very first Free school, and previously advised on the establishment's first parent promoter school.  

We are well regarded by the Department for Education and have strong relationships with key partners in the sector, including the Confederation of Schools Trusts (CST), the Institute of School Business Leaders and PAG.

Free school support

Our aim is to provide free school proposer groups with advice, skills, and bespoke counsel to ensure that the new schools are sustainable and successful. Our support expertise covers key areas such as admissions, safeguarding, community management and leadership, all of which will be of benefit to free school proposer groups.

We value partnership approaches to progressing and developing our education sector practice, such as joining forces with CST to implement a Governance Advisory Service and look forward to similarly providing an advisory service to new school proposers in partnership with PAG.