A PUBLIC consultation on Burnley’s first free school starts today.

The ‘Christian ethos’ Burnley High School is due to open next September with an initial 90 places for 11-year-olds.

Chapel St, the charity behind the venture, is yet to announce a site for the school.

The consultation will run until December 16, with questionnaires for parents available from the school’s website.

Dr Russell Rook, chief executive officer at Chapel St, said a report would be produced and presented to the Department for Education once the consultation had finished.

The government gave the school the go-ahead in May this year despite opposition from the National Union of Teachers and some Labour councillors.

Dr Rook said: “Fantastic progress is being made with the development of Burnley High School, including the success of the first parents’ evening.

“The public consultation will provide us with further opportunities to gather feedback from parents and the local community, and we are looking forward to taking the next step on the journey to making Burnley High School a reality.”

Around 150 people attended a parents’ meeting at the Life Church Burnley in Sycamore Avenue last month, and a similar event is planned for the same venue on November 13.

Dr Rook added: “I’d encourage as many people as possible to fill in the consultation questionnaire and to attend the meetings to ensure we answer as many questions as possible and together create the best school we can.”

Students from Atherton Community School, also managed by Chapel St, will attend the parents’ forum to share their experiences.

A public drop-in session will also be held on December 4 from midday to 4pm at Life Church Burnley.

The school, which has a target capacity of 650 pupils, has earmarked a number of potential sites including the former Burnley High School for Girls in Kiddrow Lane.