PARENTS hoping to send their children to Oxford's new Swan School will be able to quiz project leaders at school events.

The River Learning Trust, which has submitted plans for the new secondary school in Marston, will run a series of presentations at feeder primary schools in Oxford.

Parents and pupils will get to learn more about the school, which is due to open on the site of the Harlow Centre in September 2019.

In a statement on the school's website this week, the trust's chief executive Paul James said: "I appreciate there are still some unanswered questions and uncertainties.

"Some parents have contacted me to ask for assurances that the school will definitely open in 2019.

"While the planning process is ongoing I cannot give cast-iron guarantees, as we now depend on the planning committee approving the new buildings.

"I can only say I am very confident and that we are all working towards a September 2019 opening."

The school will open in temporary buildings but he said a location for these has still not been confirmed.

The presentations will be for prospective pupils (currently in Year 5) and another for parents, with the first at New Marston Primary School on Monday, June 18.

For a list of the five other schools and dates, visit theswanschool.org.uk/news.

Mr James also addressed confusion about how parents will apply for the Swan School this autumn.

There will be a specific form for the school on top of the usual Oxfordshire County Council form - a 'parallel admissions process'.

If Swan School applications are successful, the pupil can chose whether to take that up or opt for their allocated space on the council form.

Mr James also apologised to parents if they felt frustrated about new Swan School information being published in the Oxford Mail or in his Oxford Times column before they are informed directly.

He added: "If you have been irritated by our suggestions that you go out and support the local media by buying the paper, then we apologise.

"We will not be doing this from now on.

"Be assured that any important news that we now reveal in these columns will be communicated to you just before publication and we will not be urging you to go out and buy the paper."