There was a strong turnout for a consultation evening to discuss proposals for a new primary school.

More than 150 parents attended a meeting at the New Line Learning Academy in Maidstone to hear about the Tiger Primary School, due to open next September.

The school is going to adopt a Chinese approach to teaching mathematics and Year 7 students from the senior school were on hand to demonstrate how to use an abacus.

Gigi Luscombe, the chief executive of the Future Schools Trust, which already runs the NLL and Cornwallis Academies, said: "It was wonderful to see so many parents and their children.

"There was an extremely positive atmosphere, which has resulted in a large number of applications being submitted."

Tiger Primary will be a two-form entry school for children aged four to 11. An important attraction for working parents is that it will be open from 7.30am to 6pm.

Mandarin will be taught alongside English to provide early experience of a foreign language.

www.futureschoolstrust.comn The school's prospectus can be viewed on