A campaign is under way to stop the Catholic church closing a school it shares with the Church of England.

A support group wants to keep St Augustine of Canterbury Upper School, Iffley Turn, Oxford, a joint Anglican and Catholic school. The move to open a Catholic-only school is a response to proposals for a radical shake-up of schools in the city. Plans are being discussed to abolish middle schools and create a two-tier system of primary and secondary schools, in line with the rest of the county. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham, which owns St Augustine's, has said that if Oxford's schools become two-tier it wants to close the school and open a Catholic one instead.

If Oxford was to fall in line with the system in the rest of the county, the archdiocese says there would be enough Catholic pupils in the area to fill the school, leaving no room for the Anglicans.

But pupils, staff and governors are unhappy with the move. Oonagh Godfrey, chairman of the supporters' group and a Catholic governor of the school, said: "The setting-up of a joint Roman Catholic and Anglican school has demonstrated how Christians can work together constructively and effectively for the good of the pupils.

"There is an openness and trust between staff, clergy and governors. To revert to a Catholic school seems to me to be neither practical or visionary. The school draws on the best traditions of both Churches. "The school works. It is a living example at grassroots level among staff, governors and students of respect and understanding between churches. The move to change does not come predominantly from the local community but from a few in Birmingham. There is anger and incredulity among parents, who faced with change to two-tier, do not need further disruption."

Vicar of Iffley and school governor, Rev Richard Lea, said: "The closure of St Augustine's School will cause major disruption in the local community and keen disappointment.

"Not only is it a thriving school and over-subscribed, it is also an important example of happy and fruitful co-operation between Catholics and Anglicans." Headteachers of Oxford's upper schools have joined a campaign to keep St Augustine's a joint school.

They have signed a statement backing a two-tier system.

Fr Marcus Stock, the executive secretary of Birmingham Diocesan Schools Commission, said: "If the city goes two-tier, it will be falling into line with the rest of the county and there will be sufficient Catholics from the local area to fill an 11-to-18 school. "When Oxford went three-tier, Catholic families from outside the city did not want their children to go to the school because they would have to change at 11 and again at 13."

Fr Stock added: "The policy of the diocese is that we have a duty to provide a Catholic education for children from age four to 18.

"We want to be able to meet a projected need."

Story date: Monday 18 October

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