A steady stream of applications from to join the trust school programme has enabled the government to exceed its target of 300 phase one trust schools in England. The first 30 trust schools began operating in September. A further 170 schools in England are working towards trust status and 140 more had applied to join the programme at the end of 2007. Trust schools are maintained foundation schools with a charitable trust. The schools manage their own assets, employ their own staff and set their own admissions arrangements. However, a trust school is funded like other community schools and is not separate from its Local Authority.