ROMAN Catholic children in Oxford could be able to do all their schooling on one site if proposals to move a primary school go ahead.

Early discussions are taking place about the possibility of moving Our Lady’s Primary School, in Oxford Road, Cowley, to a building in Cricket Road next to St Gregory the Great School.

The primary school, which has 313 pupils, would be able to share facilities with the secondary. The larger space would also mean an extra 15 children could be admitted each year.

The school and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham refused to comment on the proposals. But in a letter to parents, chairman of governors Declan Brolly said: “This would be a very exciting opportunity giving us access to a much larger site, better facilities, greatly increased class room and an outside play area space.

“Our Lady’s would be able to share St Gregory’s facilities and resources such as the sports hall, among others.

“Although an exciting opportunity, it is one that cannot be taken lightly. The governing body will look critically at any offer that may arise as a result of the negotiations currently taking place.”

The building used to be Cowley St John school, now closed, and was once part of another closed school, St Augustines.

The Archdiocese of Birmingham is in negotiations with the landlord after the site was put on the market.

Both schools take children of all religions.

Oxfordshire County Council spokesman Owen Morton said: “These negotiations are a matter for the Archdiocese, the school’s governing body and the landlord of the site in question.

“However, given the growth in demand for pupil places in Oxford city, the county council would be supportive of the potential for expansion at Our Lady’s school that this proposal would enable.”

Parents had mixed feelings.

Irina Matthews, who has two boys aged eight and six at the school and a six-month baby girl, and lives in Temple Road, said: “The only thing I would not like is that it would be too many children.

“The outside space and the facilities would be increased so that is the only downsize.”

Mum of two Angelique Nolamukunda, who has a six-year-old son at the school and a baby boy, welcomed the idea.

She said: “It would mean they have a really nice place for them to play.”

Helen Chambers, 43, who formerly attended Our Lady’s and Cowley St John School, was undecided.

The Cowley mum of two, who has an eight-year-old daughter at Our Lady’s and a 13-year-old son at St Gregory’s, said: “It depends on traffic, because it’s bad enough at the moment, and also security on site and whether the building would be better than what we have got already.”