A new primary school is to open in Paddock Wood, it has been confirmed.

The site for St Andrew's Primary School, a free school which is planned to open in September 2018, has yet to be identified.

It was one of 31 free schools David Cameron announced had been approved by the Department for Education in one of his last actions as Prime Minister.

St Andrew’s Primary School has been proposed in partnership between the Tenax Schools Trust and St Andrew’s Church in Paddock Wood.

The town currently only has one primary school, Paddock Wood Primary, and demand for places is already high.

With proposals in place to build hundreds of new homes in the area it was decided an additional primary school was needed.

It will have two classes in each year, as well as a nursery for children aged two and three, and have a capacity of 420 children.

Tenax Schools Trust is a multi-academy trust that currently runs four schools, three of which are in Kent.

Ian Bauckham, its executive head, said: “We are delighted that, working with St Andrew’s Church, our proposal for a new primary school for the growing town of Paddock Wood has today been accepted by the Department for Education.

“Drawing from the educational expertise and track record of other schools in the Tenax Schools Trust, we intend to create a school which provides additional places to meet the needs created by new housing, genuine choice for parents, and a Church school of which we can be proud.”

Free schools are state-funded but independent from the control of a local authority, meaning they have control over the curriculum, teachers' pay and how their budget is spent.