THE next stage in plans to merge two sets of infant and junior schools in York is likely to be approved by city councillors on Friday.

Hob Moor, in Acomb, and Upper Poppleton both have a separate infant school, for children aged five to seven, and a junior school, for children aged eight to 11, which share the same sites.

The proposals would see both pairs of schools merged into primary schools, from September 2002, so children could stay at the same school from the age of five to 11. Money would also be saved on the cost of staffing as there would be only one head teacher.

The proposals have been prompted as both infant schools have recently seen their head teachers leave - Madelaine Lockwood at Hob Moor for another job, and Wendy Appleby at Upper Poppleton who retired.

The same thing has happened in other areas when one of the head teachers has left - most recently at Westfield, in Acomb.

If councillors approve the move to merge the schools, there will be a statutory two-month consultation period this autumn with a final decision taken by the city's school organisation committee.

Consultations at both schools found that the majority of parents who responded were in favour of the mergers.

At Hob Moor, the merged school would have about 430 pupils. The two existing schools, which are made of corrugated aluminium, are already set to be rebuilt as one as part of a PFI package, which was approved in principle by the Government earlier this year.

At Upper Poppleton a merged school would have about 400 pupils. Beverley Scanlon, the City of York Council's head of education policy and planning, said construction work to link the school buildings would be part of the plan if the merger went ahead.