The number of law schools offering the new Bar entrance course, the Bar Professional Training Course (BPTC) looks set to increase, with Kaplan Law School – a joint venture operating with Nottingham Law School – considering whether to enter the market.

The London college is to decide in the coming weeks whether or not to offer the Bar training course, after the Bar Standards Board (BSB) gave potential new providers until the end of the month to express their interest in offering the course.

The BSB approached commercial and university law degree providers over the summer to gauge interest in providing the BPTC, which will replace the Bar Vocational Course (BVC) in 2010.

It is understood there are a handful of new providers interested in offering the BPTC, with Oxford also thought to be looking at it.

Nottingham Law School already teaches the BVC in Nottingham and would also run Kaplan's BPTC course in London should it decide to go ahead with the plans.

The law school is already in the process of reaccrediting its Nottingham course.

Kaplan chief executive Giles Proctor commented: "We are thinking very seriously about it at the moment."

Nottingham Law School opened its City branch in conjunction with Kaplan in September last year, offering the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course.

The law school already has exclusive arrangements with Mayer Brown and Bird & Bird.

The BSB invitations to new and existing providers comes as the Bar faces increasing criticism about the lack of diversity and the reduced number of pupillage places available.