The Church of England (CofE) and Kingston Council are emerging as the main contenders to run the new north Kingston secondary school, after parents who waged a decade-long campaign appeared to rule themselves out.

A consultation on proposals for the site of the North Kingston Centre ended on Friday, and the council is expected to issue a formal competition notice on April 1, allowing organisations to submit bids to run the school.

Kingston has 10 CofE primary schools but no secondary schools, and the diocese of Southwark said it was considering applying to run the new school after seeing the terms of the competition.

John Russell, assistant director of the diocesan board of education, said: “We would say this is a matter of choice and diversity. It is a opportunity for parents who would wish to use our over-subscribed primary schools to see an ethos-led Church of England education from five to 18.

“We traditionally offer a foundation and open place model and are not rigid about how many are open places and how many are foundation.”

Parents who campaigned for the council to recognise the need for a new school said they were unlikely to follow the example of parents who set up and run Elmgreen School in West Norwood.

Kingston parent Karenza McCarthy said: “I think at the moment for the group of parents who initiated the campaign it is more a case of trying to get it through.

“In terms of who will be running it I don’t have any thoughts. The Church of England seems to be the most likely contender right now.

“It is far from ideal but it would be better than nothing. I would still take it over no school, but I would prefer a community school.”

The council is legally obliged to hold an open competition for potential bidders, and council sources said it was likely to apply itself. The independent school adjudicator would then decide in November who would provide the school.

The Christian Peoples Alliance (CPA), which hopes to run candidates across the borough in May’s local elections, pledged to make the provider of the school an election issue.

CPA candidate David Campanale said: “We have got many [CoE] primary schools that are very successful and open to the whole community. It would be that kind of model I would like to see, with an emphasis on the whole community and not just church goers.”