THE FUTURE of Barnsley's first free school is in doubt after just EIGHT children signed up ahead of its opening in September.
Elements Primary School is being reviewed by the Department for Education which will decide whether to defer the opening of the school, or cancel it completely.
Mark Wilson, chief executive officer of the Wellspring Academy Trust, said: "We don't know yet whether the project will be deferred or cancelled. We are bitterly disappointed."
Coun Tim Cheetham, education spokesman, said: "It is not where we wanted it. We were as surprised as anyone when they said it would be at Honeywell and the council wrote to the Department for Education to express our concerns because we didn't think it was in the right place. If it's not in the right place it is no good to anyone."
** The full story is in the Barnsley Chronicle, dated March 20. **
