This paper focuses on the role of parents in the planning and setting up of new secondary schools in the context of proposals to extend the right of parents in relation to new schools. The research focused on 15 parent campaigns that had recently taken place or were ongoing: seven aimed to obtain new schools and eight to prevent new schools being set up. Interviews were carried out with members of the campaigns, local authority officials, academy sponsors and a DfES official. Issues and barriers associated with the campaigns are explored. Amongst the most significant were access to information; lack of expertise; government policies and priorities; local authority priorities and attitudes; and lack of sites for new schools. The paper argues that whilst these barriers need to be addressed if parents are to have a greater role in relation to setting up new schools, tensions exist between government policies, creating difficulties for policies in this area to be effectively implemented. (Contains 1 table and 4 notes.)