The free schools approved represent the largest number nodded through in one wave this Parliament and will provide 45,000 school places.

London rugby club Saracens and Ashmole Academy won backing for a new secondary school for Barnet in London, designed to encourage pupils to excel in education and sport.

Nigel Wray, Chairman, Saracens Rugby Club said: “What a marvellous opportunity we have been given. At the Saracens High School we will combine our sporting beliefs to create a unique school environment where every individual student matters, academic achievement is important and a real emphasis is placed on teamwork and the creation of great memories.

“The hard work starts from this point.”

The country’s largest primary-only academy trust, The REAch2 Academy Trust, is set to open a extra 21 primary schools by 2020.

This will strengthen the trust’s family of schools across the Midlands and the south and East of England.

The Harris Federation now plans to open three new secondaries and a primary school,  including a secondary school in Sutton with a science specialism curriculum which will work alongside the London Cancer Hub, a world-leading life-science campus.

London gets 24 new schools, the largest number in the latest wave, 15 new free schools will now open in the east of England, with eight in the south west, and seven in both the south east and north west.

New schools announced today will join the 429 open free schools and 236 institutions currently in the process of being opened, helping to deliver the government’s goal of opening 500 new free schools by 2020.

To support that work the government is setting up a new body – LocatED – which will be made up of experienced property specialists to speed up the process of acquiring sites for new schools.