AN ACADEMY trust set to open the county’s first “space school” has expressed an interest in running a secondary school in Grove.

Aspirations Academy Trust, which runs Banbury Academy, met Grove Parish Council this month to discuss plans.

The parish council is looking for an academy trust to run a new secondary school to be funded by the developers of the 2,500-home Grove Airfield estate.

Chairman Frank Parnell said the council would like a sixth form college with a scientific specialism to prepare pupils for work at nearby scientific centres such as Harwell and Culham. The council also wants to have a school that is not run by King Alfred’s Academy Trust in Wantage.

Mr Parnell said: “We want something divergent from King Alfred’s Academy and something with a science basis.

“We want parents to have a choice of schools, because at the moment King Alfred’s takes all Grove children, there is no choice.

“If you want something different you have to go to Didcot or Faringdon.”

He said the council had contacted three academy trusts, but had only met Aspirations so far. Mr Parnell said the meeting on April 3 was “very interesting”, but added: “I am sure we will be looking at others.”

Aspirations has been given Department for Education permission to open Space Studio Banbury at Banbury Academy in September.