West Suffolk Matthew Hancock MP paid his first visit to Brandon's new free school, IES Breckland, just over a week after it opened its doors to pupils.
On Friday, September 14, the Conservative MP toured the secondary school, speaking to staff and pupils alike.
The junior minister for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education said: 'It's hard to put into words what this means for local children and their parents, who wouldn't have a secondary school in Brandon without this free school. I'm very proud of everybody who's done their bit to make this happen. It has united the community, firstly in campaigning for the school and now in making sure it is a success.'
'I spoke to lots of pupils and their positive attitude was palpable. They were attentive and clearly enjoying their learning – and that's exactly what a good school is for,' he said.
IES – Internationella Engelska Skolan – is a free school group in Sweden, running 19 schools.
IES UK was appointed by Sabres Educational Trust in December 2011 to set up IES Breckland. The school is the Swedish education provider's first school in the UK.
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