Pupils of a new secondary free school, due to open this autumn, shook hands with their teachers for the very first time at a special meet and greet event.

Scores of children and parents who have accepted a place at Michaela Community School in North End Road, Wembley, attended the welcome event hosted at Vale Farm Sports Centre in Watford Road - giving them a taste of what is to come.

Katherine Birbalsingh, headteacher at the school, said: “It was an excellent turnout. Families are just as excited as we are about the school and we are very much looking forward to opening in September.”

Michaela will be the only free school to open up in Brent this year after Gladstone School and The Gateway Academy missed its deadline to secure premises in time for the next academic year.

Ms Birbalsingh previously earmarked sites in South London to open the new free school, but was blocked and her proposals to open in Brent were met with some criticisms from people who said Wembley needed a primary not any more secondary schools.

She said: “I am sad for the other schools but that’s ok because they’ll open next year. We know how hard it is to open up a new school; it took us three years to get where we are now. They’ll be fine.”

The school is due to open its gates to 120 year seven children in September this year.

Michaela will later accommodate for 840 pupils between the ages of 11 and 18 once it reaches full capacity.