THE OPENING of a new 880-pupil secondary school in Oxford has been delayed by at least a year because nowhere suitable has been found to build it.

The River Learning Trust – formerly the Cherwell School Academy Trust – had hoped to open The Swan School in September 2017.

But a limited number of sites in the city, combined with complexities over land ownership, mean the government's Education Funding Agency (EFA) - leading the hunt for a location since September 2015 - have not been able to reach an agreement with the trust and Oxfordshire County Council in time.

The delay will not create a shortage of places next year but with the number of schoolchildren in the county expected to rise significantly by 2019 the free school is needed.

The River Learning Trust is prevented from discussing potential locations to avoid impacting on land values until the EFA secure a site but it is understood that Meadowbrook College, a pupil referral unit in Marston, had been considered while Osney Mead has also been suggested.

Trust chief executive Paul James said the setback highlighted problems in the city.

He said: "It is deeply disappointing that we have not been able to secure a site in time as everyone involved has worked very hard to make it happen.

"It illustrates the challenges associated with land in the city – there is a limited number of sites and there's the question of land ownership as well."

If a site had been signed off in time, the EFA could have provided temporary accommodation such as Portakabins for the school to open in 2017.

Mr James said he was confident the school would open in 2018 and the delay could now mean its first day would be in a permanent home.

The former Cherwell School headteacher insisted the hunt for a home had not hit a brick wall and discussions over a number of sites were moving forward.

Last month more than 200 parents signed a petition for the school to be located in Osney Mead off Botley Road, following speculation it may be built in Marston.

Parents in South Oxford feel their children were increasingly being scattered across a number of secondary schools, some as far away as Eynsham.

The Swan School was proposed in May 2015 to tackle a growing shortage of school places in the city and deal with the over-subscription of The Cherwell School.

Earlier this year it was revealed that more than 90 per cent of children in the county were offered a place at their preferred schools with only 148 out of 7,600 missing out on all their choices and being moved to the nearest available alternative.

The county council's Pupil Place Plan predicts the total number of schoolchildren in Oxfordshire's secondary schools would rise from 36,502 last year to 40,821 by 2019/2020.

Oxfordshire County council board member for education Melinda Tilley said: “It’s not really a worry at the moment in terms of school places but it might become one if nothing has changed in the next year or so.

“We have enough places as it is and the problem lies in the primary schools.

“But once that primary intake comes through to secondary school level in a few years’ time there will be an increased demand.”

Mr James said the new free school would give parents greater choice and would eventually become vital to combatting the city's expected growth.

Oxford City council board member for planning Alex Hollingsworth said he sympathised with the Trust but re-iterated the importance of finding a site in the near future.

He said "The need for a new school is clearly there particularly with the population growth expected in the city over the next few years as well as the next 20 years.

"The site for a secondary school requires a substantial space and Oxford is very short of space at the moment and I understand how difficult it will be."

"Somewhere near the city centre would be the obvious place given the need and ideally it would be somewhere like Osney Mead in the medium term.

"But the Trust is looking for something more immediate."