Could shut after 3 years
Accounts covering the period August 2013 to August 2016 show the school received £4.7m in government funding. When the last and current academic years are added in the figure is likely to rise well over £5m.
Ms Powell said the failure pointed to a ‘lack of rigour’ in the government’s oversight of free schools, arguing the regional school commissioner - who has responsibility for their standards - does not have the ‘powers or capacity to take action when problems are wellknown.’
MPs have been raising concerns about both MCS and Collective Spirit for several years. Both were set up by former charity boss Mr Miah – who was awarded the MBE for his work in the wake of the Oldham riots – under the government’s flagship free school programme.
Collective Spirit opened in 2013 and MCS a year later, but both swiftly ran into problems.
Like that of its sister school, Collective Spirit’s first Ofsted report in 2016 was damning – described by local MP Jim McMahon as the worst he had ever seen. Later that year inspectors concluded little had changed, finding children were going hungry due to ‘inedible’ lunches.
Earlier this year, the academy trust behind MCS and Collective Spirit told us: “Opening new schools are challenging tasks. Both schools are relatively new and are growing. Both schools deliver some of the smallest class sizes in the country and both schools are meeting the needs of children, parents and employers that are not being met elsewhere. There is adversity and there are issues that frustrate everyone.”
Collective Spirit was eventually closed in June after just four years, still in special measures.
MCS also remains in special measures, although the Laurus Trust, which runs Cheadle Hulme High in Stockport, has been brought in to support its leadership and was found by Ofsted last month to have significantly improved standards.
But Mike Shevill, who chairs the school’s new board, admitted the school is struggling to stay afloat.
“With the excellent support of the Laurus Trust, progress has been made since MCS had its last full Ofsted inspection,” he said.
“What has become increasingly clear, however, is that the school does not have the capacity and resources to continue this trajectory over a sustained period of time.
“MCS has significant financial challenges and, without considerable support from outside bodies, it is unable to deliver on its educational objectives and aspirations.”
He added that closure at the end of this academic year is being ‘strongly considered,’ adding that it did not accept any new students this September. “If this option did become a reality, we have secured the ongoing support of the Laurus Trust until the summer,” he added.
“This means that every student would be able to finish their GCSEs or Level 3 qualifications without any disruption to their education.
“Launching this consultation now will, however, help to provide clarity to the school’s community and end the uncertainty about what the future holds.”
The consultation is expected to run until December 22 with a decision due early in the new year.
In response to a series of questions from the M.E.N., including whether any money is still owed to the government by MCS, a Department for Education spokesman said: “Our priority is pupils’ education and we will now work with the local authority and Regional Schools Commissioner to support pupils and staff at Manchester Creative Studio.”
The M.E.N. was unable to contact Mr Miah for comment.