How to become a foundation school or remove a foundation

Be clear on the steps for changing your school’s category to a foundation school, and how to end a relationship with a foundation.

Last reviewed on 29 January 2024
School types: MaintainedSchool phases: AllRef: 4981
Contents
  1. How to become a foundation
  2. How to remove a foundation

This article refers to the DfE's guidance on making significant changes ('prescribed changes') to maintained schools and The School Organisation (Prescribed Alterations to Maintained Schools) (England) Regulations 2013.

How to become a foundation

This includes:

  • Changing your category to a foundation school
  • Acquiring a ‘foundation majority’. This means acquiring an instrument of government through which a majority of governors on your governing board must be foundation governors. 

This is set out in the DfE's guidance, linked above (table 18 on pages 46 to 47).

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