Analysis of government data by the National Education Union (NEU) found that £295m of public money was spent on schools that either closed completely or were transferred to new trusts, while £8m was spent on 65 approved schools that never even opened.
The list includes the Robert Owen Academy in Herefordshire, a free school that opened in 2013 at a total cost to taxpayers of £8.2m, but closed last year.
Meanwhile, the Bolton Wanderers Free School, which opened in 2013 at a total cost of £1.05m is also now closed.
The most costly closure was the STEM Academy in Islington, subsequently the Tech City College, which the government spent £14.1m on. It closed in July due to a lack of students.
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