United Kingdom’s first Mandarin immersion schools scrapped

Marco Polo Academy scrapped – but what does this mean for school places in Barnet?

The project for the new bilingual Chinese and Englishs school was heavily supported – but the DfE said it was not ‘inclusive enough’
The project for the new bilingual Chinese and Englishs school was heavily supported – but the DfE said it was not ‘inclusive enough’

by Anna Slater , Chief Reporter
Updated on 6:33pm Wednesday 23rd April 2014 in News
Parents and campaigners faced a “bitter blow” at news that a Chinese school they had been fighting to open has been scrapped.

The Marco Polo Academy, which supporters hoped to open in Burnt Oak, was approved by the Department for Education (DfE) in January – but the authority has since backtracked on its decision.

It was due to open to primary school pupils in September 2014, but the news means the 53 children who had been offered a place have been forced to reapply.

But the DfE said the bilingual Chinese and English school was “not inclusive enough” and that the campaign group behind it were “not ready” to run a school.

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