Twenty areas will get new alternative provision free schools, the government has finally announced, but more than half of those that applied were rejected. Delta Academies Trust has secured all four free schools it applied for, but others such as Unity Schools Partnership, in Suffolk, have been snubbed. All three bids in Nottinghamshire were rejected. Just 20 schools out of 43 applications聽were approved (see full list below). The announcement was made alongside the spring budget today, however it was due to be confirmed in autumn last year. It comes amid a places crisis for AP, with a Schools Week investigation finding excluded children in a third of areas were stuck on waiting lists for specialist provision . In budget documents, the government said these new schools will provide more than 1,600 extra spaces and 鈥渟upport early intervention, helping improve outcomes for children requiring alternative provision, and helping them to fulfil their potential鈥�. Delta has been approved to open schools in Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Stockton-on-Tees. However, some areas have been snubbed entirely. Nottinghamshire had none of its three bids accepted, likewise in Sefton, which applied for two schools.聽 Suffolk had one bid approved for 14 to 19 provision, but a 7 to 16 school run by Unity Schools Partnership didn鈥檛 make it through.聽 Reach South Academy Trust aims to open a new AP school in Wiltshire by September 2025. Half of the 80 places for 5 to 16-year-olds will be based at an existing school in Calne and the other half in Salisbury. Dean Ashton, trust chief executive, said it will “provide early intervention in mainstream schools and a key part of what we offer will focus on provision that will help prevent escalation to suspensions or permanent exclusions which we know are so damaging to young people鈥檚 futures”. The schools form part of the 拢2.6 billion capital pledged in the 2021 spending review. All bids had to be 鈥減artnerships鈥� and involve at least one council. The Department for Education previously said it would prioritise applications in areas with no 鈥榞ood鈥� or 鈥榦utstanding鈥� AP schools, or where no AP schools exist. Applicants must have also shown the free school would reduce a council鈥檚 high-needs deficits and 鈥渃ontribute鈥� to the wider aims of the SEND and AP reforms. No dates are given for when the schools will open. Schools Week previously revealed how opening special free schools can take years, with many delayed. The full list of successful bids: CouncilName of proposed schoolAge rangeBarnsleyDelta Barnsley AP Free School8 to 16Bath and North East SomersetSulis Academy4 to 16BlackpoolBlackpool AP Medical Free School7 to 16CalderdaleDelta Calderdale AP Free School8 to 16Cheshire EastThe Engage Academy11 to 16CumberlandCumberland Alternative Provision11 to 16East Riding of YorkshireTurning Point7 to 19KentJude鈥檚 Academy11 to 16KirkleesDelta Kirklees AP Free School8 to 16NottinghamBowden Academy7 to 16Redcar and ClevelandRiver Tees Academy Redcar and Cleveland11 to 16SheffieldMinerva AP Free School4 to 16Stockton-on-TeesDelta Stockton AP Free School11 to 16Stoke-on-TrentThe Link Academy10 to 16SuffolkSENDAT New AP Suffolk Free School14 to 19ThurrockOlive AP Academy – Tilbury11 to 19Tower HamletsMulberry Learning Village5 to 19West SussexKithurst Academy9 to 16WiganImpact Academy Wigan11 to 16WiltshireAlternative Free School for Wiltshire5 to 16