Closed free school 'was not given a chance'
The government has ordered the closure of a failing free school for the first time, after special measures were deemed to have been unsuccessful at the Discovery New School in Crawley, West Sussex.
Stephanie Garrett, a teacher from the school, told the Today programme's Mishal Husain that she believes the school "was not given a chance".
"I do believe the children were making progress," she continued.
Peter Evans, the cabinet member for children at West Sussex County Council, is in charge of finding new schools for the pupils displaced by the closure.
He said that the council will try and accommodate the children in "the schools that the parents want them to go to".
Mr Evans stressed, however, that this will not cause an "inflation" of class sizes in other nearby schools.
First broadcast on BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday 14 December 2013.
14 Dec 2013
- From the section Education & Family