Beccles Free School 1.33

Beccles Free School is a coeducational secondary free school located in Beccles in the English county of Suffolk.The school opened in September 2012, the first free school to open in the Waveney district. The school was first located at the site of the former Carlton Colville Primary School in Carlton Colville, however in 2014 it relocated to the former lower school site of Sir John Leman High School (formerly Beccles Middle School) in Beccles. The school is operated by the Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust, an educational charity based in Woodbridge. The headteacher is Nigel Youngman.There was considerable opposition to the opening of Beccles Free School from local campaigners, head teachers and senior politicians, including the local Conservative Member of Parliament Peter Aldous. The school attracted further controversy when it was revealed that only 68 pupils had enrolled at the school when it opened in September 2012, leading to accusations that the school was a waste of taxpayers money. The school opened with 12 teachers employed and had attempted to attract pupils with offers of free uniforms, school meals and iPod Touch devices. As of January 2013 an additional 34 pupils had joined the school.In 2013 the Advertising Standards Authority upheld two complaints about the way in which the school had misrepresented the former roles of its then head teacher, John Lucas, and the results of an Ofsted health and safety check. The school amended some literature as a result.