Plans for a new secondary school in Hounslow, backed by a charity supporting blind youths, have been announced.

The Thomas Lucas Academy would open in the borough in September 2016/17, under proposals unveiled this week.

It would be a free school, meaning it is free from local authority control, and would have 840 students by the time it reaches full capacity in September 2020.

The plans have been put together by a group of education specialists, business people and residents. They are also supported by the Royal London Society for Blind People, which already works with mainstream colleges to provide a range of courses for those aged 16-25.

Potential sites for the school are still being considered and the proposers are seeking support from local parents this summer before submitting a bid to the Department for Education.

A spokeswoman for the Thomas Lucas Academy Trust said: "Thomas Lucas Academy will equip the students of today for the challenges of tomorrow. Parents in Hounslow want an excellent education for their children and the Thomas Lucas Academy will offer that.

"We will foster a culture of high expectations and have a firm focus on academic excellence, ambition and teaching courtesy. Technology will play a key part in school life both as a distinct element in the curriculum but also in the method by which students learn."

Under the proposals, students at the academy have a longer school day than average, giving them time with tutors after lessons to complete their homework. The proposers say this will allow them 'downtime' with their family after school.

The school would be non-selective and would initially open with 120 year seven pupils, gradually expanding to full capacity, including a sixth form. Should demand exceed the number of places available, visually impaired children may be given priority.

Hounslow Council has estimated that another 4,070 secondary school places are needed in the borough by 2019/20 due to the growing population.

Space Studios, in Feltham, is set to open in September next year; Nishkam School West London, in Isleworth, is expanding to take secondary school students; and Reach Academy, in Feltham, has yet to reach full capacity.

The Green School for Girls, in Isleworth, is expected to submit revised plans soon for a boys school in the area; and St George's Church, in Hanworth Park, wants to open a four-form entry school for four to 18-year-olds in September 2016.

For more information about the proposed Thomas Lucas Academy, and to express an interest in sending your child there, visit www.thomaslucasacademy.com