Wigmore schools to consider merging

Plans to merge Wigmore High and Wigmore Primary School are under discussion in an innovative approach to managing falling rolls and the consequent reduction in resources.

Wigmore High School can admit up to 90 children every year, with a maximum total capacity for the whole school of 450 children.  The school is a highly successful one, outperforming local independent schools in its GCSE results.  Numbers are falling in local primary schools each year across the area because of reductions in the birth rate.

There are six primary schools which feed into Wigmore High School, including Wigmore Primary School whose head teacher is due to retire in July 2008.

Governing bodies of both schools are keen to consult on the idea of merging the two schools together.  The schools already occupy the same site, and it is thought that by reducing the admission number of the primary school from 210 to 140 and merging the management functions with those of the high school, significant savings could be made.

The high school and six feeder primary schools already work well together to maximise buying power and reduce duplication.

Financial savings on the cost of the building, maximised use of space and better deployment of non-teaching staff would allow money to be spent on raising standards and quality and creating an all-age school.

The idea of merging two very successful schools to maximise resources is innovative.  It has already attracted a lot of support and national interest, and the Department for Education and Skills is watching Herefordshire very closely.

External consultants will begin work with the school after Easter, seeking views of staff, parents, children and the wider community.