THE chairman of governors at two schools with plans to merge later this year pledged that there will be no redundancies.

Brian Perry, chairman of the board of governors at both St Silas Infant and Junior Schools in Clematis Road, Blackburn, said that although no decision had been made about the new St Silas CE Primary School there would be enough jobs to go round.

He said: "Until the plans have been approved we cannot make any decisions but I can reassure people that there will be the same number of posts and no redundancies will be made.

"No decision has or can be made yet as to the head teacher of the new school but we are allowed to 'ring fence' that job to just interview the two candidates currently at the two schools.

"Whichever one of them does not get the job will then be able to apply for a post within the new structure.

"I can reassure parents and staff that they have nothing to worry about. The same people who are teaching their children now will continue to teach them in the new school." Mr Perry made the statement after Blackburn with Darwen Council published a public notice detailing plans to close the schools on August 31 and open one primary school for children aged five to 11-years-old on September 1.

Pupils already enrolled will automatically transfer to the new school which will cater for about 390 children altogether with an annual intake of 56.

Mr Perry went on: "The merger will make it easier for us to plan the curriculum because at the moment that is done by one person for children aged five to seven-years-old and another for eight to 11-year-olds.

"It will also cut down on administration and red tape because the two schools currently use two fax machines, two telephones and so on and it is also important because we currently share the same governing body and that is no longer allowed."

Anyone with objections to the plans should contact Mark Pattison, Director of Education at Blackburn with Darwen Council.

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