Prime Minister David Cameron has announced that 49 new Free Schools will open across England including an international academy and another with links to the Singapore School of Science and Technology.Free Schools are brand new schools set up by parents, teachers and charities in response to demand from the local community. Today’s announcement - the final wave of free schools to be approved before the general election - brings the total number of open and approved free schools to more than 400, creating around 230,000 new school places.One of the new schools includes the Northampton International Academy in the East Midlands. The new 2,220 place school will serve pupils from aged 3 to 19 will offer an extended school day. The curriculum will focus on the study of modern languages at both primary and secondary level and will offer the International Baccalaureate to post-16 students.In Maidstone, Kent, a new School of Science and Technology has been approved. The new STEM-focused school for up to 800 students will forge links with the Singapore School of Science and Technology to give pupils an international knowledge of science and commerce.Announcing the new round of Free Schools, Prime Minister David Cameron said, “These new schools are an important part of our plan to improve education by raising standards and restoring discipline so our children can compete with the world’s best and enjoy a better future.”The Free School programme was a flagship policy for Coalition government when it first took office and now, three-and-a-half years after the first school of its type opened its gates, more than 40,000 pupils are attending free schools.Ministers have also announced that the government will finance Free Schools to offer nursery provision in the next wave of applications.