Failing free school told to close
One of the Government's flagship free schools - Discovery New School in Crawley, West Sussex - has been ordered to close amid continuing concerns about the standard of education it is offering.
One of the Government's flagship free schools - Discovery New School in Crawley, West Sussex - has been ordered to close amid continuing concerns about the standard of education it is offering.
West Sussex County Council has said it will make every effort to minimise disruption to the children who will be without a school in April.
We will work with parents to ensure that school places are found for pupils in accordance with published admission arrangements and we will accommodate parental preference where possible.
Although we have had no control over this situation, every effort will now be made to try and minimise disruption to children's education.
We hope that a meeting for parents can be arranged shortly to discuss options available to them.
The sudden demise of the Discovery New School is likely to undermine confidence in Education Secretary Michael Gove's flagship programme.
Parents and governors at the Discovery New School in Crawley have expressed their dismay after it became the first free school to be closed.