Free school launch aborted shortly before term

in this way we would be shut down. We started to hear from parents at the end of last week that the funding agreement was not being signed.”

Coun Berry said he believed up to 30 sets of parents had chosen the One in a Million Free School for this year.

“If I was one of these parents I would be livid,” he added.

A DfE spokesman said: “Setting up a free school is a difficult task and we thank One in a Million for all their hard work. Before any new schools open their doors, we have to be sure that all the conditions we set have been met. Making certain that new schools raise standards is one of the reasons why our free schools have been so popular with families across England. We still hope that One in a Million will open in 2013.”

The One in a Million Free school was going to offer a mix of vocational and academic learning “themed across sports, the arts and enterprise”.

It was given initial approval to open in 2012 by the DfE last year. The One in a Million charity behind the plan was launched at Bradford City football club seven years ago by former player Wayne Jacobs to use football as a way of helping to inspire young people from deprived backgrounds. It now runs more than 20 education projects across the city.

In an interview with the Yorkshire Post earlier this year Mr Stockill said that leading a new school from scratch was an opportunity which few teachers ever get.

It was unclear last night how many other teaching staff had been appointed.

The school was planning to open with 50 pupils recruited within a three-mile radius of the school, rising to 350 over seven years.

Stephen Twigg MP, Shadow Education Secretary said: “Michael Gove looks increasingly incompetent.

“Pulling the plug on a school just a few days before it was due to open will leave parents angry and confused as they scramble to find a school place.”