The Education Secretary has welcomed the opening of a new free school in west Suffolk this week.

Nicky Morgan said the Ixworth Free School, which has 600 places, offers parents real choice from other larger secondary schools in the area.

Her comments came as the Government celebrated approving more than 400 new free and technical schools across England since 2010, amounting to more than 200,000 new school places nationally, including 30 free schools in the eastern region.

Ixworth Free School is the third opened by the Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust and will have an ethos of Six Cs to Success, based on commitment, co-operation, community, confidence, challenge and celebration.

Mrs Morgan said: “Delivering the best schools and skills for our young people is all part of our long term economic plan and opening more free schools, academies, university technical collees and studio schools is vital to this.

“They are offering parents in the East more choice than ever before and allowing thousands more children the opportunity to go to a good local school that will give them the best start in life.”

The school is open from Wednesday, though pupils do not return until next Monday.

Niki King, principal of the new school, added: “The opening of the new Ixworth Free School offers opportunity and choice to all families in the local community.

“By working closely with students, parents, carers and the wider community we will establish strong partnerships which I believe are the key to the success of any school and to our vision of raising aspirations, progress and achievement.

“This has been proven with success at both Beccles and Saxmundham Free Schools, also members of the Seckford Foundation Free Schools Trust.

“Being part of the free schools programme will give us the flexibility in our management of the school to deliver the very best to our students in September and the years ahead.”