Plans for a new Catholic secondary school in Oxford have been unveiled by church authorities.

The move, announced by the Archbishop of Birmingham, would see St Augustine RC/CE Upper School close. The Cardinal Newman RC Middle School in Cricket Road, Cowley - set to be closed under the schools reorganisation - will be extended to become an 11 to 18 school.

The archbishop, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, said: "The reorganisation generally gives the Catholic community the opportunity to establish a secondary school to which many families, especially those with young children, wish to have an opportunity of sending their children.

"I want to acknowledge the really good work that St Augustine's does, but it doesn't capture the hearts of Catholic families." The plans are for a 210-pupil, or seven-form intake for each year. The archbishop said any pupil at St Augustine's in the year of the transition would automatically get a place at the new school. All teaching staff would be able to take up posts there.