MP Gordon Henderson has sent a 10-point list to Education Secretary Michael Gove urging him to treat the Isle of Sheppey Academy as a “special case”.

The government announced last week it was calling a halt to the Building Schools for the Future project because it was “dysfunctional” and “unnecessarily bureaucratic”.

The two-site academy, which is Sheppey’s only secondary school, is one of 40 schools in the county that could be affected, and one of eight under discussion.

Mr Henderson said that if better infrastructure is not put in place as soon as possible the academy will fail, and said that it demands immediate and special treatment. He added that while he appreciates that Mr Gove’s coalition government has inherited an “appalling financial legacy”, the Sheppey Academy review should be conducted urgently.

In his letter he wrote: “The Academy was established as part of a reorganisation of the education system on Sheppey from three-tier to two-tier.

“There was considerable opposition to that change, including from me, however, that opposition was mitigated to a large extent by the promise of the £55 million investment that the academy would bring.

“I expressed concerns about funding for the new academy buildings last year and specifically asked what would happen should a government of a different political persuasion be elected and have to make cuts in the education budget because of the financial mess that was apparent even at that time.

“I was assured that finance for the Sheppey Academy was 'ring-fenced’ and 'safe’.

“There is already increasing concern that the present cohort of transferees from local primary school to the academy will be disadvantaged because of the poor facilities that currently exist on site.

“For instance, almost 20 years ago I was a governor of the Cheyne Middle School, which is now home to Academy West, and the buildings were not fit for purpose then!”

Cllr Roger Truelove (Lab) says the withdrawal of Building Schools for the Future programme would be a total disaster that could “profoundly damage” the prospects of Sheppey youngsters and the Island economy.

He said: “This is the first genuine challenge to our newly elected Member of Parliament.

“I realise comparisons may not be welcome, but Gordon Henderson might well find himself in the same position as Derek Wyatt after 1997. At that time both the Sheppey Crossing and the Sheppey Community Hospital were at great risk. Derek succeeded then, not by public statements or blaming the previous government.

“What he did was to put enormous behind-the-scenes pressure on the appropriate ministers, John Prescott for the Crossing, and Frank Dobson for the Hospital.

“Gordon will now have to do the same with Michael Gove. He has to succeed, because the idea of the academy working long-term in the old buildings is utterly unacceptable.”