The Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust has been selected by Cambridgeshire County Council to run the new secondary school in Littleport, which is scheduled to open in 2016.

The trust must now win the backing of Secretary of State for Education, Michael Gove, before it can officially begin work on the new school.

Greenwood Dale runs a stable of 23 academies in Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Peterborough and was selected by the county council’s cabinet ahead of the Active Learning Trust, which runs the north of Ely’s new primary school and Neale Wade secondary school, in March.

County council infrastructure officer, Hazel Belchamber, said in her report: “The Greenwood Dale Foundation Trust was particularly strong as it demonstrated the greatest experience of setting up new schools and, in particular, improving outcomes for ‘education, skills and training’ in areas of high deprivation.

“It also demonstrated an understanding of the council’s very low level of revenue funding and the associated challenges resulting from this, particularly in respect of establishing two new schools to open at the same time.”

A public meeting was held at Littleport Leisure Centre back in February, where 80 members of the public were also given the opportunity to question the candidates.

The secondary school and special school – which are scheduled to open in September 2016 – will be located to the north west of the village, near to the leisure centre, which is in Camel Road.

The secondary school will cater initially for 600 pupils aged from 11 to 16, with the potential for future expansion up to 750 pupils.

The special school on the same site will cater for 110 pupils aged from two to 19 with special educational needs.

The total cost of both schools will be about £30m, funded by Cambridgeshire County Council from a combination of Department for Education money and contributions from developers.