NEW College Keighley will join Brit School North in Bradford as new free schools in the Bradford district.

Around 12,000 young people in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country will benefit from a wave of new free schools.

The Government announced today (Tuesday) that 15 new free schools are set to be opened in parts of the country where education outcomes are weakest, providing more opportunities for local young people. 

Free schools are funded by the Government but are not run by the local authority, instead, they are run by other organisations - most commonly academy trusts - but also businesses and universities.

They have greater freedom to innovate and drive up standards, for example more autonomy over the teachers' pay and their curriculum.

This includes four in Yorkshire and the Humber including the BRIT School North in Bradford, a University Technical College in Doncaster, and two 16 to 19 schools in Keighley and Leeds.

New College Keighley will also open in Bradford, creating 1,000 places for 16 to 19-year-olds, run by New Collaborative Learning Trust.

Brendon Fletcher, Principal of New College Doncaster, said: “We are thrilled that New College Keighley has been approved, bringing specialist academic sixth form provision to young people in the area, with an extensive range of A level and A level equivalent courses. This college will build on our success and experience in Bradford, Doncaster and Pontefract.”

BRIT School North will provide 500 spaces for 16 to 19-year-olds creating opportunities for rising stars in the North of the country to break into the performing arts industry.

It will be run by the BPI Education Academy Trust and is based on the award-winning performing arts school in South London which helped to launch the careers of Adele, Amy Winehouse and Jessie J.

Doncaster University Technical College (UTC) has also been approved which will deliver a joint specialism of Health Science and Green Technologies. Run by Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust, it will be open to Year 7 students providing 600 secondary places and 240 places at post-16.

Thorpe Park College is also set to open in Leeds which will offer a broad curriculum of A Levels and T Levels to 1,000 16- to 19-year-old students looking to access high-quality post-16 provision. It will be led by Delta Academies Trust.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan said: “We want to make more good school places available to families, and these 15 new free schools will bring brand new opportunities to young people from Bradford to Bristol.

“Free schools bring high standards, more choice for parents and strong links to industry – and all in the areas where those opportunities are needed most. 

“These new schools build on this Government’s work to drive up school standards since 2010, with 88 per-cent of schools now rated good or outstanding – up from 68 per-cent - and high performing academies and free schools in all parts of the country.”

Dr Jo Twist OBE, Chief Executive of BPI said: “We are delighted with this decision and it is a positive signal that Government recognises the critical importance of creative and specialist creative arts education.

“The UK is a world-leader in music and across the creative industries and if we want this to continue, we must invest in talent and the highly transferable skills needed for a competitive economy.

“This school will not only focus on producing our next generation of performers, but crucially, train young people with the important technical qualities needed for our industries to thrive and provide them with opportunities that they otherwise might not be able to access.”

Free schools in this wave have been approved where there is the greatest need for good new places, prioritising Education Investment Areas (EIAs) identified in the Levelling Up White Paper and Priority Education Investment Areas (PEIAs) identified in the Schools White Paper.

These are parts of the country with the lowest education outcomes that the Government is investing in to support young people to get the education and skills they need to get a good job and help the economy continue growing.

The full list of new free schools that have been approved and are expected to open in three or four years include: 

• BRIT School North, a 16-19 school in Bradford

• New College Keighley, a 16-19 school in Bradford

• Eton Star, a 16-19 school in Dudley

• Eton Star, a 16-19 school in Teesside

• Eton Star, a 16-19 school in Oldham

• Great Stall East Academy, an all through school from ages four to 16 in Swindon 

• Lotmead Primary School in Swindon

• Dixons Victoria Academy, a secondary school in Manchester

• Dixons Wythenshawe Sixth Form, a 16-19 school in Manchester

• Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, a secondary school in Liverpool  

• Bolsover Sixth Form, a 16-19 school in Derbyshire

• Cabot Sixth Form, a 16-19 school in Bristol

• Thorpe Park College, a 16-19 school in Leeds

• UTC Southampton

• Doncaster UTC - Health Sciences and Green Technologies