Plans for a brand new Camden free school for children excluded from mainstream schools have been approved.

Education secretary Michael Gove has given the go-ahead for the Weekend Arts College (WAC) Free School to open next year.

WAC Arts, a college which currently provides training in the arts for children and young people up to the age of 25, hopes to open the free school in their Hampstead Town Hall base in September 2014.

It was one of 102 free school applications approved nationwide by Mr Gove last week.

The school for 14 to 19-year-olds is set to open to 60 pupils who have been excluded or are at threat of exclusion from mainstream schools next September.

WAC Arts plans to modify its space in the town hall, in Haverstock Hill, Belsize Park, to accommodate four year groups ultimately.

Ken Shoults, chief operations officer for WAC Arts, said: “This free school is all about working with children who are not in mainstream education or are not working properly in mainstream education.

“Schools may refer them to us, councils may refer them or in some cases there maybe self-referral.”