THE two bids looking to bring a free school to Swindon have successfully cleared the first hurdle, it was announced yesterday.

New College is looking to put a secondary school in the North Swindon area, while the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust wants to create one for students in the central and southern areas of the town.

Both bids were submitted in early October and now both have made it to the interview stage.

The Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust interview will take place on January 14 and New College Swindon’s interview will take place on January 26.

A decision will then be made by the Department Of Education by the end of the spring term.

The news has been welcomed by the people behind the bids, who say there is a need for schools in Swindon.

Graham Taylor, the principal of New College Swindon, said: “We are delighted to have made it to the next stage of the bid process. Figures show that Swindon will need the equivalent of three secondary schools so there is room for both bids to succeed.

“We are preparing hard for the interview to make sure that the people of Swindon get the best possible secondary schools for their children.

“We’ve been talking to parents and local businesses that seem really keen on a new school in North Swindon with a business & IT focus.”

John Swainston, the chief officer for the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust said: “I am delighted we have got through to the interview stage.

“The school will offer a place to those who want to continue their education in a Church of England setting as well as serving a local catchment of mainly new housing.

“The school community will be built from a diverse intake.

“We are committed to help young people develop into balanced, capable and innovative adults.

“The commitment of the school is to work with each pupil to ensure he or she is suitably prepared in whatever way is most appropriate for their next step, when they leave this school.

“The teenagers of Swindon and their families deserve the best opportunities for their future.”

For the bids to be successful they needed to demonstrate there was adequate local support for the bids by gathering signatures from local parents. Sufficient signatures were gathered, which help to progress the bids.

The location of the schools is not known at this stage as the sites will be decided when bids have been accepted.

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson said: “I think we have an exceptionally strong case because of the parental support and the need for places post-2016 and I will be doing everything I can to secure the £25m needed to boost our local community school provision.”