Prime minister David Cameron has suggested he would rather be a teacher than a farmer, according to one headteacher.

Mr Cameron used the penultimate day of his premiership to visit pupils at Reach Academy in Feltham, south-west London, and joined them for a dinner of baked potatoes and beans in the dining hall.

Pupils were given the chance to ask questions, and quizzed him about the handover of power to Theresa May tomorrow.

He also hinted at which profession he would choose, when asked if he would prefer farming or teaching.

Principal Ed Vainker said Mr Cameron told the pupils: “I think farmers do important work but having three children and teaching them how to read, that’s the job I would choose.”

The visit to the outstanding-rated school came as the government approved the creation of 31 new free schools which will offer 20,000 places inside the state sector but independent of local authority control.

The new approvals come on top of the 300 free schools that have opened their doors since Mr Cameron took office in 2010.

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