New free school on course for September opening

Families who have already been allocated school places outside of Wisbech would be contacted, the council said

A new free school is on course to open in September, a county council has said.

The Wisbech free school is due to open initially in temporary accommodation on the site of Thomas Clarkson Academy.

Cambridgeshire County Council said it meant there would be enough secondary school places for children in the town.

A funding agreement was signed this week by the Department for Education.

Labour councillor Bryony Goodliffe, chairwoman of the council's children and young people's committee, said it was "excellent news".

"We owe it to our children and young people to give them a school place as near as possible to where they live," she said.

The school will be run by the Brooke Weston Trust, which also runs Thomas Clarkson Academy.

Permanent accommodation for the school would be progressed over the course of the next year, the council said.

A spokesperson said families whose children had been allocated places outside of Wisbech would be contacted, offering them a place at the free school.

A free school is funded by the government, but not run by the local authority.