THE amalgamation of College Town infant and Junior schools has got the green light.

Bracknell Forest Council approved the plans on Friday of last week, which will see the two schools merge into one.

The plans were approved by more than 70 per cent of respondents, after the council put them out to public consultation.

The merger essentially means that the education of children from the age of three to 11 will all take place under one roof, and will improve the links between different years, meaning it is less of a jump from year two to three.

The name for the new school, which will be up and running from September 2018, will be confirmed in the coming months, along with staffing changes, admission, uniform and building work details.

Cllr Gareth Barnard, executive member for children, young people and learning, said: “I looked carefully at all the comments submitted as part of the consultation on the plans and agree with the majority of views that having one school for all primary years is the best option for children, parents and school staff.

“The majority of schools in Bracknell Forest are primary schools and so the new amalgamated school in College Town will follow the same successful model.

“It makes sense to have primary school-aged children educated in one place as it has real benefits for the children and their attainment and education as well as reducing costs and retaining good staff.”

The council believes that the the merger will also benefit the safeguarding of students, and will be a vital cost-cutting exercise, as resources and staff will no longer be duplicated, meaning some staff will leave the school.