A GROUP fighting for a new school to be created in Portishead could still be on track to open a new facility in September.

Following a period of consultation, The Village Quarter Parent Group has submitted a new bid to the Government to open a school in the Village Quarter area, free from local education authority control.

The school would be run by The Village Quarter School Trust which was formed earlier in the year, headed by education advisor Marcus Orlovsky.

The trust first made an application for funding to open a free school in January and got through to the final stage of the selection process before being declined.

With the expansion of St Peter’s Primary School in progress, the group had to decide whether to bow out gracefully or continue their fight for a new school.

They invited residents to take part in a survey before they made a decision and 74 per cent of the respondents were in favour of re-submitting an application immediately.

Group spokeswoman Laura Haseldine said: “From 116 responses, 74 per cent expressed a preference for us to reapply to open the Village Quarter School in September 2014.

“During a few hectic weeks, Marcus Orlovsky and his team adjusted the application based on feedback from the Department for Education and our revised application has been submitted.”

If successful the school will open with two reception classes and one mixed class of year one and two pupils.

The group should know by Christmas if this application has been successful.