What an absurd situation (Council bails out school, June 12).

Kingston Education Trust was so wary of the reputation of Michael Gove’s free school programme and the delays caused by the funding mechanism behind it, that it successfully applied for permission to open the school in 2014 – a year earlier than it was needed because of the now rising secondary school roles.

This purposely built in an additional year to allow for such delays.

However, not only was that year wasted by the Education Funding Agency, so was the following year, during which the agreed site lay empty waiting for redevelopment.

Despite the council leader’s critical comments concerning the funding agency, his administration still appears wedded to advocating the free school programme which depends on it.

How much more straightforward would it have been for the Government simply to supply the council with the funding to open the school which everyone agreed was needed in this part of the borough?

DAVID RYDER-MILLS
Former Kingston Council lead member for schools