Parent asked seven times for controversial free school to send him minutes of governor meetings, without success, emails reveal

The headteacher of a free school, which is currently under pressure from the government, would not provide a parent minutes of its governing body meetings without meeting him despite repeated requests, email correspondence seen by Education Uncovered reveals.

The exchange of communication between David Perks, high profile principal of the East London Science School (ELSS), and then-parent Chris Coyle appears to have put Perks at odds with the requirements of the school’s funding agreement with the Department for Education.

Under its funding agreement, and also the trust’s constitution – its articles of association – governing body minutes have to be provided to any interested individual for inspection at the school. This is standard practice in terms of the rules under which academies are founded.

Coyle, who is himself a chair of governors at another school, withdrew his child from ELSS following a dispute with Perks, which had originated over behaviour but a strand of which was to centre on access to the minutes. Coyle asked Perks and ELSS’s chair of governors, Adam Atashzai, for these at least seven times, without success, correspondence between them shows.

Coyle grew so frustrated with the school that he said he had lost all faith in its leadership and his second child did not go on to attend ELSS, as had been a strong possibility before the dispute.