PARENTS have spoken of their devastation after the Education Secretary announced she was to close their troubled free school.

Nicky Morgan said she was terminating funding for Durham Free School (DFS) just hours after the publication of an Ofsted report judging it to be failing in all areas.

The schools watchdog slammed DFS’ leadership and management, teaching and pupil achievement and behaviour – rating all four areas as inadequate, the worst possible.

Perhaps most damningly, the Christian academy was slated for its students’ “discriminatory views” of people of other beliefs – with inspectors concluding DFS was “failing to prepare students for life in modern Britain”.

Ms Morgan said the findings were shocking, painting a picture of a school in disarray, and while closure was a difficult decision, there was no imminent prospect of improvement.

No closure date has been announced and the Department for Education would only say the school would shut “in due course”.

But the parents of DFS’ 90-plus children aged 11 to 13 now face having to find other school provision.

However, many contacted The Northern Echo to express their disgust at Ms Morgan’s move and say they would fight to save their school.

Helen Constantine said: “It’s an absolutely fantastic school. It’s unreal the progress my daughter has made. I can’t believe it.”

David Lewarne said: “The school has been absolutely fantastic. My daughter loves it. I’m devastated – I had every faith in the school.”

Amanda Mould added: “Ofsted is talking rubbish. It’s brilliant. We’re fighting to keep it open.”

John Denning, DFS’ chair of governors, said he only learned of the closure through the media and the school needed time to absorb the news; but bosses are understood to be considering their options.

DFS has been dogged by criticism and controversy since well before classes began in September 2013.

It was the brainchild of families struggling to get their children into Durham Johnston School.

But there were always surplus school places available and, having failed to find a permanent site, it angered local opinion by opening temporarily in the former Durham Gilesgate Sports College, Gilesgate, which had been controversially closed just weeks before.

It became the focus of the national free school debate after it emerged its first term cost the taxpayer £900,000 – more than £25,000 per pupil.

Then-Education Secretary Michael Gove publicly backed the school but before Christmas it was rapped for its governance and financial arrangements and headteacher Peter Cantley was ousted – the school saying his contract had been terminated on performance grounds. He launched legal action, starting employment tribunal proceedings.

Durham City Labour MP Roberta Blackman-Woods said DFS should never have been allowed to open and had been a huge waste of public money, while Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, said the Government’s free school programme was damaging standards and Labour would deliver a tough new system of local oversight for all state schools.

Based on an inspection on November 26-27, Ofsted said DFS governors placed too much emphasis on religious credentials in recruiting key staff; its leaders’ expectations were not high enough; and pupil safeguarding was inadequate.

On teaching: assessment was inaccurate; marking was weak; and expectations were too low. On pupil achievement: standards were low and progress was inadequate. And on pupil behaviour: it led to “unsafe” situations, particularly on school buses; pupils called each other unpleasant names; there were “many instances” of bullying; exclusion rates were high; and attendance was low.

However, inspectors praised the school’s extracurricular activities and said the acting head, Julian Eisner, had stepped up and was developing a clearer vision for the school’s future.

DFS leaders insisted things would improve – as recently as this lunchtime (Monday, January 19) saying they were “determined to push forward” and make rapid progress towards becoming an outstanding school.