The community is “very upbeat” about the academy that has replaced Shene School, according to its principal, despite opening with less than half its first-year places filled.

Richmond Council revealed 94 year 7 students started at Richmond Park Academy (RPA) when it opened its doors for the first time yesterday.

The new academy – run by Academies Enterprise Trust (AET) – had room for 220 students, leaving it with 126 empty first-year places. Last year there were 142 unfilled year 7 places, when 215 were available.

Lesley Kirby, former headteacher at Shene and new principal of RPA, admitted she would like more students as that would mean more funding, but explained the number of pupils and the percentage coming from the community had risen.

She said: “The purpose of the academy is to raise the profile in the area and to appeal to more students by offering a greater choice in terms of curriculum, teaching and learning opportunities by better facilities and resources with better funding and higher standards of education.

“Everyone is hugely committed to this being a success – the school looks physically different, there is new painting and flooring.

“People [I have spoken to in the community] are very upbeat about the changes, there is a real positive vibe.”

The only other secondary schools with places are the new Twickenham and Hampton academies, which replaced Whitton School and Hampton Community College, and are run by the Learning Schools Trust, the British charitable arm of Swedish education firm Kunskapsskolan.

The council revealed there were 27 places available at Hampton Academy, out of 210, and 19 at Twickenham Academy, out of 180, compared with 16 and 49 in 2009 when both schools had room for 200 year 7s.

Councillor Paul Hodgins, Richmond Council cabinet member for schools, announced a series of targets for RPA this week including the introduction of a sixth form and the formation of an “inclusive, formal and structured community board, led by parents and other interested community members”.

He said it would help people work together in “contributing time, effort, and ideas to the school” and ultimately lead to more children from the area attending.

Paul Mason, from the Barnes, Mortlake and Sheen Parent Promoted Foundation (PPF), said the announcement was “really good news”.

Mr Mason said he had been in discussions with the council and this was “a real opportunity for the school and the community to work together”.

Councillor Malcolm Eady, Richmond Liberal Democrats’ education spokesman, said he was sure RPA would have a good future but the role of the community board was unclear. He added that he feared a rush to put a sixth form on the site could lead to an “expensive shambles”.