A HIGH school is to open another consultation into it setting up a multi-academy trust after concerns were raised by parents.

Bowland High School, Clitheroe, had been looking to set up the trust with Witton Park Academy but the Blackburn school will now not be involved until the trust has been established if the proposal is approved.

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A consultation had been held last month in which parents voiced concerns over the loss of Bowland’s identity and pupils being taught in Blackburn and not the Ribble Valley.

The school has said that a ‘slight majority’ of parents are in favour of the trust being set up.

Under the revised proposal the school will set up the trust on its own which will give it the right to sponsor other schools.

The leadership of Bowland High will be more ‘prominent’ in the new trust and Witton Park Academy will be invited to join in the future.

Parents have been invited to a meeting on Monday, December 7, from 6pm to discuss the new plans and a consultation will be opened in the coming days.

A final decision about whether to proceed with the application will be made after December 10.

A spokesman for the school said: “Where there were concerns these were primarily about the threat to the unique identity of Bowland, staff being taken away from their core roles, pupils being educated for much of the time in a different school, and a view that Witton Park is too far away from Bowland.

“A few people at the parents’ meeting stated that the consultation was rather short or stated that they had not received the letter about the meeting held on October 12.

“The governors wish to emphasise that the proposal involves a change of governance not a merger.

“All schools in the multi-academy trust will retain a separate identity.

“In reality it is more likely that much of the provision for any sponsored schools will be commissioned from other sources.”