Kingston’s new secondary school will provide 240 places for the 353 pupils currently on roll in year 1 at Fern Hill, Latchmere, St Luke’s, St Agatha’s and Alexandra.

Kingston Council has now issued its school competition notice, which outlines the key criteria for the school, which is scheduled to open in autumn 2015. It also invites bids from parties interested in running the school.

The council confirmed it would be eight form entry, co-educational and would not select on the grounds of ability.

The school will predominately serve pupils in the north of the borough, within 1.42 miles of the proposed North Kingston Centre site. Parents from neighbouring Richmond will also be able to apply.

Last month, the group of parents who successfully campaigned for the new school ruled themselves out of running the school.

A spokesman for the Diocese of Southwark, which runs Kingston’s CofE schools, earlier this week said: “I have spoken to the board of education and they tell me that the invitation to bid is not out until Friday but at the moment they are proposing to put in a bid.”

St Luke’s, with 30 pupils in year 1, is the only CofE school of the five.

The council would not confirm yet whether it intended to submit a bid.

Patricia Bamford, executive member for children and young people’s services, said: “The local authority needs to take a neutral stance while undertaking this commissioning role. It is only after assessing the proposals from potential providers that we will we be expected to decide whether or not to submit our own bid.”

The Department for Children, Families and Schools (DCSF) has said that they normally anticipate three bids in a competition process.

Independent consultants Office for Public Management (OPM), appointed by the DCSF, will work with schools, organisations and groups who might be interested in running the new school.

Kimberley Green from OPM said: “The important thing is that you want more than one bid to give parents choice and some say in the process.”

The notice has been published in today’s Surrey Comet and can be viewed at kingston.gov..uk, as well as at the North Kingston Centre and in the borough’s libraries. Interested parties have until September 1 to submit a bid.