THE headteacher of Bournemouth and Poole’s new free school says the first 200 pupils are already lined up to start there in September.

Around 250 parents attended two open consultation meetings at the Life Centre in Moordown to hear more about the proposals for Parkfield School and contribute ideas for how it should be run.

Afterwards, principal Terry Conaghan told the Echo: “It’s been a fantastic turnout and the response has been really positive. Obviously there are some concerns, but this is what this is all about – to take those on board.”

Mr Conaghan said the school was in the final stages of buying the freehold of Homelife House in Oxford Road, Bournemouth.

A next door property is also for sale, potentially providing space for a playground.

He said the school still had to be given the final go-ahead by the Department for Education, but said plans were still on target and funding is guaranteed for the foreseeable future.

“We are already in the position where we know we have the numbers we need,” he added.

Mr Conaghan, who has been head of a new state secondary school in Swindon for the last two years, admitted: “It is a leap of faith. The experience I had from the previous school was that parents were initially unsure and we didn’t have the numbers we were capable of taking, but by Christmas we were full.”

He explained that the whole idea of free schools was to provide what the local community wants.

Parent Julie Talmage of Poole said she was happy with her son and daughter’s current school, but concerned about secondary school, adding: “Grammar school is great, but obviously there’s no guarantee. I’m here because I wanted to keep an eye on what’s going on.”

Another Poole mother said: “We need a new school. You can find really good first schools but after that it all goes downhill. Not everyone can go to the grammar.”