A MOTHER who bought the Hartlebury school her dyslexic son attended has gained support from the village’s MP in her second bid to axe fees.

Annabel Goodman saved the private New Elizabethan School from closure in 2007 but is now making a play for free school status.

MP for Mid Worcestershire, Peter Luff showed his support by meeting staff and parents at the school, which currently charges up to £3,950 per term and specialises in helping children with barriers to learning.

Proposals for the Worcestershire Free School are to make it an academy school for pupils aged four to 16 with the same attendance criteria and admissions system as any other school, with class sizes of less than 12.

Principal Miss Goodman said: “It means there will be an extra school to choose from, allowing parents alternative provision to standard mainstream education. The school will offer personalised learning programmes with an emphasis on helping pupils with barriers to learning achieve their full potential, whether they are dyslexic or highly gifted or simply benefit from a high staff pupil ratio in small class sizes within a small school environment.”

She said their first application was turned down as the Department for Education said the school would not have time to be up and running by 2012 and there was not enough demand in the area. “These are spurious reasons as we are already up and running and we are already over-subscribed by three applications to each place,” she added.

“We are resubmitting a second proposal and hopefully we will hear something very soon. We are currently developing a partnership with a big organisation - which I can’t name yet - but hopefully that will make progress.”

Mr Luff said: “I'm delighted to support this enterprising school in its bid for free school status. There's a lot of competition for an idea that has proved even more popular than anyone expected but they really deserve to succeed.”

There will be an open day on Saturday, June 18 from 10.30am until 4.30pm when barristers from No 5 Chambers in Birmingham will be available to give free legal advice to parents regarding their children’s education.

To register support visit worcestershirefreeschool.org.

Pictured are Peter Luff and Annabel Goodman, centre, with supporters of the Worcestershire Free School proposal.