A free primary school which is still teaching pupils in temporary accommodation has been given permission to open a secondary school in September 2014.

Cobham Free School was given the green-light by the Department for Education which would make it the first secondary school in the town since the 1980s.

An alternate bid by neighbouring state school St Andrew’s, which used to be a secondary school, was refused last May.

Headteacher Michaela Khatib said: “We are delighted at the prospect of being able to take our existing cohort of primary school children right the way through to 18 years of age.

“We believe our ethos and experience in already successfully opening a primary school has been a determining factor in this decision.”

She said it was anticipated the school would be three forms of entry with a maximum of 25 pupils in a class.

The school will now have to find a site to put its secondary school.

Chairman of governors Howard Morris said the success of the secondary school bid would not distract the free school from finishing its Portsmouth Road site.

Primary school pupils are currently being taught in a nearby gospel hall after the former police station could not be made ready for the first day of term in September.

Free schools are funded by central Government and are given the money to pay for smaller class sizes, longer school days to help working parents, and laptops for every pupil.

Education minister Michael Gove said the schools drove up quality, offered best practice from the private sector by allowing local parents and teachers to take on schools and gave more choice.

But critics said free schools were divisive, left behind working class children and used public money to weaken other nearby state schools while not having to employ qualified teachers.