At least six 鈥渆lite鈥 sixth forms and a new BRIT School for the north are vying to be among the 15 new free schools in areas in which ministers want to boost standards. Only one in four of the more than 60 applications for will be approved. Among the bids for new elite sixth forms are the three 鈥渦nashamedly academic鈥 Eton and Star Academies colleges proposed in Dudley, Oldham and Teesside. The government has committed to opening 鈥渁 number鈥 of 鈥渉igh-quality, academic-focused鈥 16 to 19 free schools in education investment areas. (EIAs), regions with the lowest pupil outcomes that have been promised extra support. The move has proven controversial with fears it will lead to 鈥渟election for a lucky few鈥. A study last year found elite sixth forms taught few poorer pupils and recruited heavily from neighbouring areas. But Eton and Star have pledged to focus on young people from the most deprived communities. Curriculums will ‘evolve to meet business demands’ Revealing more details, the organisations told Schools Week each college鈥檚 curriculum could 鈥渆volve to meet contemporary demands of business in the local areas鈥. For instance, pathways to degree-level programmes in biomedical science and STEM subjects in Teesside could be introduced to support its chemical engineering industry. The Cornwall Academy of Excellence, founded by school leaders from the Cornwall School of Mathematics and Science (CSMS), is also making a bid for an 鈥渆lite鈥 sixth form. It would have space for 450 students with expected entry requirements of grade 7 at GCSE. Emma Haase, CSMS鈥檚 principal, said it would cater for 鈥渋ntellectually curious students鈥 across the county to get more into the top universities. The Mercian Trust in the West Midlands, which runs nine schools including two selective secondaries, is also wanting to open a new sixth form to allow more 16 to 19 disadvantaged students to access prestigious universities. Located in Sandwell, Mercian Sixth would cater for up to 600 students from September 2025 with a focus on STEM. There is also a bid for iExcel Elite STEM Sixth Form College for Females in Bradford, run by the Feversham Education Trust. Could the north get its own BRIT School? Meanwhile, the famous BRIT School, a 14 to 19 performing and creative arts school in Croydon, south London, hopes to expand to the north of England. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the recorded music industry’s trade association that funds the school, has chosen Bradford for a proposed 16 to 19 college to 鈥渓evel up creative opportunity鈥 across West Yorkshire. The London school鈥檚 alumni include Adele, Amy Winehouse and Rizzle Kicks. A BPI spokesperson said it had 鈥渓ong been the ambition鈥 to create a specialist creative school outside London and the south east to make the industry 鈥渕ore inclusive and accessible for all, regardless of background鈥. Two university technical colleges are also among the applications 鈥 one in Southampton proposed by UTC Portsmouth. UTC wants to provide health and green pathways The second is an extension of UTC Doncaster, part of the Brighter Futures Learning Partnership Trust, to provide new pathways into health sciences and green technology careers. The DfE will now assess the 64 applications before an announcement in spring. Criteria includes a local need for additional school places and the ability to support 鈥渞apid improvement鈥 in educational outcomes. Evaluators will prioritise applications in 鈥減riority鈥 investment areas 鈥 a subset of 24 regions that make up the 55 EIAs. About 85 per cent of the applications are in EIAs, including all six elite sixth forms. Just one in three is in a priority area. These applications are separate to the 60 special and alternative provision free schools the government wants to open from September 2025. When announcing the plans in June, w the then education secretary, said the new schools would 鈥渃ontinue to make sure that every child, in every corner of the country, gets the support they need to succeed鈥.