Schools’ historic merger
Head teacher Colin Dean of Robert Smyth Academy who are planning to merge with Welland Park College Academy. (Picture: Andrew Carpenter/001398-13)
SCHOOLS in Harborough have announced plans to merge to form a single academy.
Robert Smyth Academy and Welland Park Community College want to join together to operate a single school for 11-19-year-olds.
The new school would be called the Market Harborough Academy.
Robert Smyth headteacher Colin Dean told the Mail it would continue to operate on the two sites, which would be referred to as Robert Smyth and Welland Park campuses.
Pupils would not be required to travel between the two for lessons, but some teachers could work on both sites, he added.
The merger would see the creation of a single board of governors.
A joint statement from Mr Dean and his Welland Park counterpart Pascale Powell said: “We both think this is a very exciting proposal, which is entirely for the benefit of present and future students in Market Harborough.
“It makes absolute sense that two academies, which already have strong links and are geographically so close, should wish to unify more formally.
“This does not alter any existing arrangements we have with either our primary or secondary partners, which are already strong and will continue to be so.”
As of September, the schools will set up the Market Harborough Academies Partnership to look more closely at how it could operate, with the aim of forming the single academy within two to three years, subject to Government approval.
Mr Dean said there would be some financial benefits to the merger, as it would allow the schools to share some resources and supplies.
But he said there was no intention to reduce staffing numbers, adding the overiding reason for the proposals was to improve education for pupils in Harborough.
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Tuesday 22 May 2012
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