A flagship Government free school has been told it must close just two years after it opened - just one day after Derby’s failing free school was told it was “in chaos”.
Discovery New School in Crawley, West Sussex, has been told it must shut its doors on April 4, making it the first such school to close.
The order came 24 hours after the city’s failing Al-Madinah free school was given a damning report, stating it was still “in chaos” two months after it was also placed in special measures.
Experts from Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust are currently exploring how they can help turn the Derby faith school around after School Minister Lord Nash expressed his concerns about standards. But the trust has indicated it would not wish to take the school on full-time.
Lord Nash had also previously told Discovery New School he had “grave concerns” about standards last month and asked the school for a statement on the action they were taking to address this.
This had been considered, but Education Secretary Michael Gove was “not satisfied that the action the academy trust proposes to take is sufficient in all the circumstances”.
A Department for Education spokesman said: “Since the Discovery school was placed in special measures by Ofsted in May, we have monitored progress closely.
“The trust has not provided evidence they are making the changes required.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers said: “The blame for the closure of this school lies squarely with Michael Gove and his free school programme which has failed to ensure that schools opened under the policy can provide a decent standard of education.”