Staff at York Sixth Form College claim educational standards will suffer if the proposed merger with York College of Further and Higher Education goes ahead.

They fear the merger will be more of a takeover, with the smaller sixth-form college being swallowed up by its larger neighbour and staff forced to compete for jobs.

A union representative confirmed college staff were unhappy about the merger, revealed in the Evening Press this week, and that the three unions at the college were holding a joint meeting today to discuss their response.

One head of department, who has contacted the Evening Press anonymously, said sixth form staff had met governors to express their resistance to the plan after a poll of 128 staff revealed more than 60 per cent were against the scheme.

"It is not a merger but a takeover by our larger neighbour to form a sort of super-college and quality of provision will suffer in the long term," they said.

"A letter has gone out to parents assuring them they have nothing to fear which is nonsense because what is being created in a much larger, much more impersonal organisation.

"York Sixth Form College is in the top ten of sixth form colleges in this country and its success is based upon the fact it is a small college which is able to foster close relationships between staff and students. We are not against collaboration but we would like a half-way house which would allow us to retreat from the full-blown merger if necessary in the future."

Mike Galloway, principal of York Sixth Form College, said there had been consultation with staff.

"The fact that all the staff met with all the governors is confirmation of that and there was a good exchange of views," said Mr Galloway.

"There is still a formal period of consultation to come and the unions will be involved in discussions about the nature of that consultation.

"There is inevitably always some anxiety about change, but the reaction I have had from staff is that they want to make it work for the people of York."

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