Pupils at Matthew Arnold School in Cumnor Hill are backing the prospect of a wind turbine being sited at their school.

Low Carbon West Oxford, a community group set up by residents of the area, has put up a 15m-high temporary anemometer at the school to measure wind speeds over the next three months.

If the wind proves powerful enough, the group will investigate the idea of installing a 19.5m-high wind turbine, capable of generating about 26,000 Kwh per year, equivalent to the amount of electricity used by seven average houses.

According to predictions based on the national wind energy database, the school, on top of a hill overlooking Oxford, looks to be a promising site.

Electricity generated by the small turbine would be sold to the school, with the income used by the group to pay for further projects to reduce carbon emissions.

Low Carbon West Oxford has generated almost £1m in grants in two years.

It is using the money to install solar panels at the King’s Centre, in Osney Mead, and the Aldi supermarket, in Botley Road, and to build a 50ft-tall wind turbine on Harcourt Hill. However it still needs to raise a further £400,000 to install a hydro-electric turbine generator at Osney Weir, on the River Thames.

Matthew Arnold headteacher Katherine Ryan said: “Everyone at the school is excited by the prospect of working with a local community group to generate green energy on the school site.”

Barbara Hammond, chairman of West Oxford Community Renewables, Low Carbon West Oxford’s business arm, said: “This is an excellent example of how communities can work together to do something positive to help tackle the urgent issue of climate change.

“We will be consulting with local residents at the school in March and hope they will support the plans.”

Low Carbon West Oxford was formed in 2007 and is registering as a charity.