PARENTS behind plans to establish a Free School for the Worth Valley have announced they have deferred making a formal application due to a lack of support.

The team behind the Worth Valley Free School initiative need more time to drum up extra support from the public, but say they are still hopeful they can achieve their objective.

They had called on district residents earlier this year to fill out a survey and demonstrate their backing for a new Free School.

But a Worth Valley Free School scheme spokesman said: “Following analysis of the survey and having taken advice from the New Schools Network, a decision has been taken to defer the application until after the General Election.

“The survey responses were good, but we needed more to make a really strong case to the Department for Education that a new secondary school is needed.

“This does not mean we have given up hope, but feel we have further work to do and support to gather to make a stronger case.”

The plans were first made public in January.

Parents investigating the possibility of setting up such a school argued the existing standard of secondary education in the district was not good enough for their children. They said they were concerned about academic progress at secondary schools, and wanted to offer an alternative.

A Free School would operate outside of Bradford’s Local Education Authority framework, but would still be inspected by Ofsted and would have to teach the core curriculum subjects.

Reacting to news the formal bid is being deferred, Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council chairman, Councillor John Huxley, said he felt this was a “realistic” decision.

Cllr Huxley, who has previously expressed his support for the idea, said: “We’ve seen nationally what can happen to Free Schools if things aren’t done right. It is children’s lives and education we’re talking about here. So I’m pleased they are being realistic and accepting where they are with the project, while not giving up. These things take time and patience.”

Cllr Huxley said he thought the drive to gain public backing had not been helped by the publicity accompanying troubled Free Schools elsewhere in the country, including Bradford.

“The Free School system is still in its infancy.

“Also, we are days away from a general election, and who knows what is going to happen to Free Schools if the nation changes its government?”