Public meetings informing people of the possible options for the future of secondary school education in Wantage and Grove start next month.

Ten meetings are being held in schools during May, June and July, which will be open to parents and members of the public.

Education officers from Oxfordshire County Council will explain in detail the two proposed options of either a larger King Alfred's Community and Sports College serving the whole area, or two separate schools, for Wantage and Grove.

Public consultation will continue in September with a poll to test the strength of local feeling before the county council discusses the issue again.

The school changes have been suggested because of a predicated rise in the area's population and because King Alfred's is keen to re-organise on to a single site -- possibly on the former Grove airfield -- rather than being spread across three.

King Alfred's principal Bernard Clarke said he was aware there were concerns that a single school, which could have up to 2,500 pupils, would be too large.

But he said it would not be a problem as long as the school was well organised.

"The most important thing is to make sure every child feels valued as an individual. That can be done in a number of ways whether the school has 500 pupils or 1,800 pupils," he said.

Mr Clarke added that a larger school would be able to offer a wider range of subjects and better facilities for the whole community.

The idea is opposed by both Wantage town and Grove parish councils, which have set aside £1,000 each to promote the benefits of two schools through leaflets and public meetings.

Councillors say two schools would cut travelling time for pupils. They fear a large, single school would be impersonal, and that children would find it hard to settle in.

They also worried about the impact on the King Alfred's School listed buildings, Wantage Leisure Centre and the town centre if a single school was built in Grove.

Grove Parish Council chairman Frank Parnell said: "Choice is a major issue. We would like to see people have a choice of which school to send their children and a choice of how far they travel to school.

"We obviously want to see a secondary school in Grove but we don't see why that should mean there is not one in Wantage as well."