Coalition's Flagship Free School Scrapped

One of the coalition's flagship free schools has collapsed weeks before it was due to open, allegedly due to a lack of demand from parents.

Ministers have confirmed that Newham Free Academy, in east London, which advertised a "no-frills high-quality traditional education" and was preparing to open in September, has been withdrawn from the free schools programme.

Free schools are meant to prove evidence of parental demand before winning approval to set up.

Schools that receive approval are given state funding for the costs of building or converting premises.

The government also provides funds, known as "lead-in costs" so that the school's backers can develop detailed plans, including drawing up a curriculum, and recruit a headteacher.

The collapse of the Newham school emerged after the shadow education secretary, Stephen Twigg, asked, in a parliamentary question: "How many pupils have applied to join the Newham Free academy in September 2012?"

The schools minister, Nick Gibb, replied: "Following careful consideration, we have judged that the proposal to establish Newham Free academy has not progressed sufficiently for it to proceed to opening and it has been withdrawn from the free school programme."

The school was due to open with 180 places in each year group, and its founders claimed to have "developed large community links in Newham with many parents and families worried about secondary school provision in their local area."

The collapse of the school underlines concerns that the free schools programme is not sufficiently focused on areas of need.

(H)