TEACHERS at a forthcoming free school are planning to meet parents during a special open morning.

The new IES Breckland School will open in September on the soon- to-be-closed Breckland Middle School site and will be run by incoming principal Sherry Zand.

Founded by the SABRES Educational Trust, the new school will be run on the trust’s behalf by the British arm of the Swedish firm Internationella Engelska Skolan (IES), under a 10-year deal worth �21million.

It is one of the Government’s new free schools.

On June 9, members of the community will be able to meet the team selected to run and teach at the new school during a three-hour session at Brandon Leisure Centre.

Parents, pupils and residents from the area have all been invited.

Ms Zand said: “I am really excited about this event. I know that people in the community want to meet our teachers and we are delighted to provide an opportunity for them to do so.

“We want to invite everyone to come to this event and hear more about the school we are creating.

“Speaking to my colleagues running schools across Sweden, I saw how important it is to have the best teachers possible.

“I am delighted to say that we have a first-rate teaching staff with proven skills. They are all as committed as I am to creating a truly fantastic school.

“Our meet the staff event will be a great occasion to start to get to know each other before September. Teachers will be hosting stalls, and we have lots of fun activities for everyone to take part in.”

Earlier this year, the EADT revealed none of the staff appointed to the new school had come from the existing middle school.

SABRES said the recruitment process had been rigorous and driven by a desire to ensure ‘only the very best’ were appointed.

However, the news sparked concerns among some parents.

One of them who contacted the EADT said: “Interviews for positions have apparently just taken place and it would appear that few, if any, of the current staff have been successful in their applications.

“If it is because they are employing better teachers then of course that is wonderful and to be praised. If it is to do with cost cutting then I fear for the future of the children in Brandon.”

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) said it had also raised concerns about middle school staff.

Graham White, Suffolk secretary of the NUT, echoed parents’ concerns but added he had warned them about the implications last year at a public meeting about the free school. He said he was criticised at the time by parents for not supporting the idea.