A MAIDSTONE secondary school has withdrawn from a flagship county council scheme to allow pupils to study for their A levels at different schools.

Oakwood Park Grammar School has decided it will not participate in a plan for five local schools and Mid Kent College that education officials were anxious to replicate elsewhere in the county.

The school insists it has not closed the door completely on the scheme, which goes under the name of the ME16+ consortium, and could rejoin in the future.

Headteacher Mike Newbould said he was concerned that the introduction of the scheme in September would create difficulties for schools where small numbers of students opted for particular subjects.

Parents might not know until late in the day which school children would be attending.

He said: "The issue I was not particularly happy with was what might happen where there were two schools with very small groups. The idea was that they would merge them in one school.

"I am not happy about doing it this year...we need to plan it so parents know which school their child will be at. I have told KCC that I have withdrawn but it has asked me to have another look at it."

The decision did not imply that he disagreed with the idea of linking up with others.

"Absolutely not," he said. "We already have links with schools like St Simon Stock and Maidstone Girls Grammar School."

It is understood the remaining schools, Maidstone Grammar School for Girls; Maplesden Noakes, the Astor of Hever School and St Simon Stock, together with Mid Kent College, are to continue with the partnership from September.