A SCHOOL is set to become the first in Oxford to wipe the slate clean under a Fresh Start scheme.

Rose Hill Primary School, in The Oval, has received the backing of parents, governors and the headteacher in its bid to be given Fresh Start status.

It could mean new buildings, extra funding, teachers having to reapply for their jobs and even a new name. Yesterday, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet approved the plan and the Government is expected to announce whether it will fund the scheme by the end of the week.

The 303-pupil school was placed on special measures by Ofsted inspectors 13 months ago.

Michael Waine, the council's cabinet member for schools improvement, received 14 responses to a formal consultation, of which 12 were in favour of the idea. He said: "Given the limited number of people who have responded, there's overwhelming support."

Under Fresh Start rules, schools must be subject to a competition for the right to run them. This would allow organisations including religious groups to bid for the right to run the school, removing it from council control.

However, Mr Waine said an application for an exemption to this rule had been submitted to the Government.

He believed a tendering process would postpone the earliest opening of the new school from this year until Easter next year.

He said: "The only concern we had was the need to progress this as quickly as possible. In our view, to hold a competition would slow down the progress.

"We should not allow anything to stand in the way of creating an up-to-date and modern school, worthy of the children that attend it."

Headteacher Sue Mortimer said: "The whole school community is in favour of this great opportunity. The capital would hopefully provide us with a new building within 18 months to two years and the revenue would fund things like more staff, books and IT equipment."

She said any potential name change would need to be discussed with parents and children.

Sarah Parrott, whose daughter Isis, eight, attends the school said: "I used to go to this school and it does need a bit of money spent on it. Anything that improves it for the kids is a good thing."

Two other schools in Oxfordshire have already taken part in the Fresh Start scheme. Orchard Fields Primary School, in Banbury, which opened in 2002, and Willowcroft Primary School in Didcot, which opened last September, replaced failing schools.