A free school that is expected to be placed into special measures has “let down” parents, union leaders have said.
An Ofsted inspection report into IES Breckland school in Brandon, Suffolk, will be published on Thursday.
Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said members took no pleasure in the school’s failure.
But she added: “Parents and students at this so-called pioneering school have been badly let down, not only by the school’s private operators but by the government, which has sold them the lie that free schools can provide them with a better offer than their state school neighbours.
“This school is run by a Swedish free school operator and is the first school to be run on a profit-making basis – ingredients that we were told were guaranteed to raise standards of education throughout our school system. Despite the evidence from Sweden, that tells a different story.
“The real recipe for school success is qualified teachers who are well supported by continuing professional development throughout their careers, led by head teachers with a strong track record, and overseen by a governing body drawn from the local community and working in tandem with the local authority and the local family of schools: all elements missing from the free school programme.”
