Plans for a new 1,050-pupil secondary school on the north coast of Cornwall have been cancelled by the Government.
Perranporth Academy had been due to open in September 2026 as a free school to ease pressure on other secondary schools in Truro and Newquay.
A Department for Education (DfE) spokesperson said the evidence had been “carefully considered” and it had been concluded “there is not sufficient need for additional places to justify building a whole new school”.
In a statement Truro and Penwith Academy Trust said: “Cornish children, families and communities will be worse off in years to come as a result of this short-term decision making.”
The trust said the new academy would have been “Cornwall’s flagship for inclusive education” due to the planned purpose-built special educational needs and disabilities hub.
The trust’s chief executive Dr Jennifer Blunden said the academy had been designed as a “a school for hope and ambition”.
She said it would have taught a science, arts and technology curriculum which “could have been a skills pipeline for economic investment in Cornwall”.
“Education shouldn’t depend on your postcode. Perranporth and St Agnes are the last communities in Cornwall without a secondary school,” she added.
“Local children, especially those with additional needs, face long, isolating journeys and the new school was an opportunity ensure strong cradle to career education within the community.”
Perran Moon, MP for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle said he was “extremely disappointed” at the decision to cancel the school that would have served children from St Agnes, Perranporth, Goonhavern and Cubert.
The school had been put forward and approved with initial plans for it to open by September 2025, before the date was pushed back to 2026.
In October 2024, when building work was close to beginning, the government announced a review of all free school projects, which it has now concluded.
The government said the decision had been made to invest at least £3bn to create tens of thousands of new specialist special educational needs and disability (SEND) places in mainstream schools.
Secretary of State for Education Bridget Phillipson said: “To make today’s investment happen, some mainstream free school projects will not go ahead.”
“Instead of adding free schools where places already exist, we are delivering tens of thousands of new places to better support pupils with SEND in a school that is close to home,” she added.
The DfE spokesperson said: “The government is committed to making sure there are enough school places in Perranporth.”
