TWO mergers involving four Maidstone primary schools have moved a step closer.

County councillors have endorsed separate proposals to merge All Saints Primary School and St Stephen’s Church of England Infant School, along with a second involving the proposed merger of Shepway Infant School and Shepway Junior School.

Public consultation on the plans, discussed by KCC’s Schools Advisory Board this week, will begin in May.

The merger of All Saints and St Stephen’s will result in an entirely new school being built on a site near Lockmeadow, somewhere between Beaconsfield and Ecclestone Road, at a cost of up to £7million.

It is not clear whether the new school will be a single form entry or two as KCC says it is difficult to estimate possible demand for places.

However, the council believes that if all the expected housing development takes place, around 200 additional places may be needed in the area, justifying two forms of entry.

County education chiefs say the prospect of a new school will ensure pupils are taught in better facilities.

All Saints, which has been placed in special measures after failing an Ofsted report, in 2003, is at the junction of one of Maidstone’s busiest road junctions and has no playing field.

Local county councillor John Frisby (Lib Dem) said there was widespread support. “All Saints is in one of the worst locations and moving pupils to a bigger modern school will be one of the best things we can do,” he said.

Amalgamation could happen by September 2005.

County councillors have also expressed support for consultation on the merger of Shepway Infant and Junior Schools to create a new school for 4-to 11-year olds, again possibly by 2005.