News

Plans for a free school in east London have collapsed weeks before it was due to open because there was too little demand from parents.

The Newham Free Academy, a mixed secondary school, was preparing to open in east London in September, but the school has now been withdrawn from the free schools programme.

The Department for Education (DFE) confirmed: "Newham Free Academy unfortunately did not progress sufficiently for it to proceed."

Free schools - semi-independent state-funded schools - are meant to prove evidence of parental demand before winning approval to set up. The group behind the proposed academy described itself as an "ordinary group of people, parents and families who wish to open a new secondary school in Newham".

Newham Free Academy is yet to comment on the collapse of its proposal.

The DFE confirmed two new free schools - School 21 and the London Academy of Excellence - will be opening in Newham in September.