Can a free school refuse a place if they have room?

[owlsintheflowerpatch]

Haven't applied yet. Spoke to a local school yesterday. Told they have room and you can apply through the LEA but not to as the prefer you to come for a meeting interview with their head then the head is to have a meeting with old school etc before applying.

I have no issue with this and we would go and look anyway but just wondered if we looked round and applied without the rest of it if they could refuse a place or if the lea can assign a place.

Mostly because i would like to initially apply without the old school initially knowing.

A free school cannot select on academic ability so meeting the entry requirements is not a consideration. If they have a place available and no waiting list it must be offered to anyone who applies.

As Tiggytape says they cannot insist on a meeting with you and/or the head of the old school before you apply. They cannot use these meetings to decide whether or not to offer a place.

Thanks both.
My dc are good at school so no behaviour issues and i would obviously want to look round again.

But i want to apply without current school knowing initially and i don't want to put them through unnessecary meetings with both schools together.

If you know they have room then apply via the LEA and job done.
Interviews indeed some Headteachers need a swift kick in the ego.

I know of a case in a neighbouring borough to us where the head of a newly opened free school felt they were deliberately shafted by an established local school when a very troubled child's family was "encouraged" to transfer them. It should have been a "managed move" but the free school head was caught unawares by some very underhand tactics and is now more cautious as a result.

Perhaps the head of the OP's prospective free school was similarly caught out in the past.

I think you are talking about an in-year transfer or managed move rather than applying for a Y7 place OP?

These moves are usually done by mutual agreement & often on a trial basis. It is perfectly normal for the school to invite you in for a meeting & to look around. They will also be looking to ascertain why you want to move & if your child is likely to adjust well to the move, etc

Thank you. My dc is well behaved and a good pupil so im not worried about meetings but I am not on good terms with their current school having just put a complaint in.