Admissions criteria and school ethos have emerged as the main differences between the two organisations hoping to run the proposed secondary school in north Kingston.

A document outlining the bids from the Church of England and the Kingston Educational Trust (KET) is today being sent to all Kingston town neighbourhood properties and parents of primary school children today.

Southwark Diocesan Board of Education submitted plans for 30 per cent of pupils to from families who worship in Anglican or other Christian churches. The Kingston Church School Appeal had called for 40 per cent.

The remaining 70 per cent would be open places drawn from those living in the community.

Looked after children and those with exceptional social or medical need would be given priority for both open and foundation places, but the document stated “siblings will also be given a high priority” - a key concern of many who attended the appeal’s public meetings.

Their bid said that for foundation places, priority would be given to those living in parishes closest to the school, while up to 16 open places would be for children of other world faiths, after which children at Kingston town primary schools would be given priority.

KET, formed of Kingston Council, college and university, proposed a non-selective school, with priority to looked after children followed by siblings, exceptional family, social or medical need and proximity of the child’s home to the school.

Kingston College principal Peter Mayhew-Smith said the college could bring its experience of 16-18 vocational education to the school and contribute to the proposed specialism in music and English.

He said: “We run a very successful and vibrant music department. We have production studios and industry experts employed and on the outside.

“There’s a real chance to make the specialism quite unique. Without the college and university it’s not as rich as it could be.”

He said the school would benefit from the college and university, which have been working with the council since Easter, being involved in designing the curriculum and building, and have a wider than usual mix of qualifications and progression pathways.

David Campanale, chairman of the church school appeal, said the diocese was the only one of 13 potential bidders to hold public meetings, and said its proposed admissions criteria and percentage of foundation places showed it had listened to concerns.

He also stressed the diocese was the only bidder with recent experience of setting up a new school, having founded Saint Cecilia’s, Wandsworth, which opened in 2003.

A public meeting will be held at Fern Hill Primary School at 6.30pm on Friday, September 24, and the deadline for comments is Friday, October 22.

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