A proposal to merge two Brighton schools to form a single primary is due to go before councillors next week.
The merger plan was put forward in part to address a combined budget deficit of £466,000 with Stanford Infant School £278,000 in the red and Stanford Junior School £188,000 over budget.
The proposal follows a public consultation from last September to November, with Brighton and Hove City Council expected to decide the matter next Thursday (29 January).
A report to the full council said that the governing bodies had agreed that the proposed merger would be the best long-term solution for both schools.
Merging would also provide a “more seamless educational journey” for children, the report said.
Councillors are expected to vote for the “discontinuation” of Stanford Junior School, in Stanford Road, from September and for Stanford Infant School, in Highcroft Villas, to extend its age range from four to seven years old to four to 11 years old.
The proposed primary school would continue operating on both sites.
The report said: “A single head teacher and senior leadership team would replace the current dual structure – and shared administrative support across both sites could be implemented.
“From an educational perspective, the merger would eliminate the Year 3 transition, providing educational continuity for children from Reception through to Year 6.
“This would enable consistent tracking of children’s progress across all primary years and better curriculum alignment.
“A merger would enable pooling of educational resources and learning platform subscriptions.
“Staff would benefit from varied career pathways, with opportunities to develop expertise across Reception to Year 6, and there could be more leadership progression opportunities and cross-phase working.”
The proposed merger is expected to save about £120,000 a year, according to the report which recognised staff concerns about job security and “inevitable” redundancies.
The consultation generated 224 responses on the council website and 11 emails, with opinions were described as fairly evenly split.
Some 45.5 per cent of those who responded opposed a merger and 42.9 per cent supported the idea, with 11.6 per cent unsure.
Concerns included the effects on early years education and a focus on Key Stage 2 – Years 3 to 6.
The report said: “Some responses referenced the potential loss of distinctive school cultures and there were concerns about the emotional toll of staff wellbeing and the risk of losing passionate dedicated staff.
“It was noted that the lack of clarity about which roles would be retained created significant stress.
“Many respondents questioned the forecast of financial savings, arguing that the £120,000 annual saving had not been substantiated with detailed financial modelling through the consultation period.”
This was “despite efforts by the governing boards to respond to questions in public meetings and supply information through the consultation period”.
After statutory notices about the merger were published in late November and December, the council received more 12 responses through its website and 14 emails, with 85 per cent raising concerns.
The merged primary school would have 564 pupils, with a published admission number of 60, making it a two-form entry school.
The full council is due to meet at Hove Town Hall at 4.30pm next Thursday (29 January). The meeting is scheduled to be webcast.
