A minister visited Wilmslow on the day the government announced new free schools across the region.

MP for Crewe and Nantwich Edward Timpson, minister for children and families, visited Gorsey Bank Primary School which has been working in partnership with Cheadle Hulme High School on a bid for a new free school.

Free schools are funded by the taxpayer but set up and run by parents or community organisations. Critics say the schools will not raise standards like the government claims.

The government announced on Monday that the new free school – Cheadle Hulme Primary School – will go ahead and open in 2016, eventually having 420 places.

The school will follow the national curriculum and introduce specialist teaching in a bid to offer high quality language and science education.

It was one of six new free schools in the North West given approval by the Department for Education, and 49 across the country.

Mr Timpson met Gorsey Bank headteacher Lisa Woolley and Linda Magrath from Cheadle Hulme High School, to hear about the new school and how it will affect children in the area.

He observed lessons and met with teachers.

Nicky Morgan, Education secretary said: “Free schools give pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to attend an excellent local school. The demand from parents, charities and education experts to set up the schools has proven the programme to be one of the most important drivers of social mobility.”