Parents are being invited to have their say on plans for a new free school in Huntingdonshire.

The school, which is proposed to be a Christian secondary school, hopes to be open before the start of the 2020-21 academic year.

The proposed new school has reached an agreement with Fulham Boys School to come under its umbrella. No location has been decided for the proposed school, although it will be in Huntingdonshire.

Committee organiser Sarah Kerley said: “Our proposal is for an 11-18 co-educational Christian free school, with a substantial offer of A levels at key stage five. Based on the current long travelling distances faced by students aged 16 to 18 for further education, there is both a basic need and a real demand for this provision.

“Our school would be open to all children between 11 and 19, no matter what their faith, ethnicity, background or social standing. The school’s caring ethos and family-feel would provide strong pastoral support for teenagers.”

Free schools are independent schools set up by parents, teachers and existing schools, under the Ofsted regime and funded by the Department of Education.

The committee for the proposed school has said that there is demand for a free school in Huntingdonshire. They have said that currently, the only comprehensive, non-fee paying secondary school in Cambridgeshire that marries the ethos of Christian teachings with an outstanding curriculum is St Bede’s in Cambridge, which, they said, is over-subscribed.

Miss Kerley went on to say: “We urge any parents with children in Year 5 and below, very keen to have this school as an option for their child in 2020, to contact us via our website, twitter or Facebook page and register their interest, as well as signing up to alerts and newsletters.

“For the Department of Education to accept our proposal, we need to be able to prove that there is a demand for a new, outstanding school in Huntingdonshire. The earlier that people register, the better we can take into account what people really want for their children’s further education.”

The school has also pledged that every pupil will learn about Christian values, as well as longer school days to include more teaching and greater extra-curricular activities.

Miss Kerley said: “We also ask church leaders, primary school head teachers and governors and also interested parents to come along to our open consultation meeting on October 8, at 5pm, in the Reading Room, High Street, Hemingford Grey, PE28 9BJ.”