The Government spent more than £3 million helping Bradford’s first free schools before they opened and during their first year of operation, new figures reveal.

The amount of money given to each school, in addition to the funding they receive to teach pupils, was published by the Department for Education (DfE) after the information commissioner overruled a Government bid to withhold the details for free schools that are state-funded but independently run.

Bradford’s Dixons Music Academy and Dixons Trinity Academy received the most, being handed £151,936 before opening and a further £1.4 million during their first year of operation.

King’s Science Academy, which the Telegraph & Argus reported was ordered to improve in all areas by Ofsted inspectors in March after its first inspection, was given £562,056 before its doors opened in September 2011 and an extra £601,000 in its first year.

And Rainbow Primary School, due to move from its current Manningham base to a new building on the site of Bradford’s former Nelson Street fire station, was given £320,952.83 before opening and £126,000 afterwards.

Labour’s Coun Ralph Berry, Bradford Council’s executive member for education, said the fact the Government had not wanted to release the figures showed a “lack of transparency”.

He said: “We don’t know if we have got value for money.

“The issue is all very furtive and secretive. As a local authority, we have to go to public procurement and be transparent because we are spending public money and have to be held to account.

“From the look of it, we have got good value for Dixons because they have opened a two-form primary and seven-form secondary school, but King’s has been given £1 million to do with as it pleases and got a bad Ofsted.”

The information has been published as the Government revealed £40m was handed to 72 free schools across the country in their first year after opening and nearly £20 million before they opened.

The data also shows that around £441,000 was spent on eight free school projects which were withdrawn before they opened, although none in Bradford.

A spokesman for the DfE said: “Post-opening funding is designed to enable schools to cover essential initial costs, such as buying books and equipment and to meet the costs arising as the school builds up its cohorts over time – as they could not otherwise meet the full cost of a head teacher and other senior staff from the per pupil funding initially received.

“This funding is essential to meet the additional costs associated with starting a brand new school.”

The figures do not include capital for buying a site, refurbishing buildings or money for free schools due to open later this year. There is also no information on funding on the One in a Million free school, which had the plug pulled on its funding a week before it was due to open last year.

It is now on track to open this September.