Free school plan rejected

The Three Valleys Independent Academy would have been based at the former School of Nursing and Midwifery, on Golden Smithies Lane, Swinton, offering 850 places for 11-to-18-year-olds.

But the proposal was turned down by the Department for Education this week.

David Mann, chairman of the academy, said that he was sorry to announce that the proposal had been rejected.

He said: “We feel that we presented an excellent case, professionally prepared and we considered that it met the requirements of the Department for Education guidelines. 

“However, this was not the case and the proposed plan to open the school in September 2012 was rejected.”

The group, which has already submitted one revised bid, has now declined the chance to resubmit plans to open in 2013.

“Because of the costs involved and because we felt we had submitted a high-quality bid, we feel there is little point in pursuing the project any further,” said Mr Mann.

“We wish to thank the hundreds of people who supported the bid and feel that an opportunity to improve educational options in Rotherham has been lost.”

The proposals were met by resistance from a number of people including Wentworth and Dearne MP John Healey.

Mr Healey has scrutinised the plans since they came to light a year ago and raised concerns about the impact of a new school on existing pupils and schools, where there were already surplus places, and the lack of proven need or demand.

The MP also criticised the Government for not being open and transparent about the proposals while they were being considered.

On Tuesday he described the news as “the right decision.”

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Mr Healey added: “Our local headteachers and councils have all been united with me in opposition and concern for the damage a new free school would have on existing schools and pupils’ education.

“I want to thank all those who have helped me to properly scrutinise this proposal and challenge the Government on its divisive free schools policy.

“The Three Valleys plan was weak from the outset. The company have no experience of secondary education, didn’t prove there was any demand for a new school and couldn’t say how they would do better for our young people than any of the schools we have here already.”

Mr Healey said that it was time the Coalition Government spent its money wisely and helped the town to improve standards further.

He said “Rotherham’s GCSE results this year have shown that, yet again, teachers and pupils are working hard, standards are improving and we’re now beating the national average.

“But the Government need to help us to continue to improve.

“When they got rid of Building Schools for the Future, they scrapped plans to spend £250 million on Rotherham schools.

“They were prepared to pump millions into a new free school, if the bid had been up to scratch, but denied this money to our existing schools which are crying out for repair.”