TWO village primary schools are joining forces to strengthen their work and maintain standards of teaching and learning.

The Church of England schools at Kirby Fleetham and East Cowton, near Northallerton, will come together in one federation from September 1.

Governors of the two schools, which are around ten miles apart, held a formal consultation on the proposal and organised a number of public meetings.

And they have now agreed to the move after getting the overwhelming backing of parents, staff and the local community.

Under the federation the two schools will retain their own budgets and buildings and remain firmly part of their local community.

However they will have a shared leadership and management and a single governing body.

At the end of this term the current head of East Cowton, Ruth Smith, will be leaving to take up a role in teacher training and from September the present head of Kirkby Fleetham, Helen Dudman, will become the leader of both.

Staff and governors believe federation will bring about key benefits for children at both schools in terms of educational and social experiences and more targeted teaching and also for staff in terms of professional development.

It also means the two schools, which have worked closely together for some time, can further develop their joint curriculum and share to make best use of their resources.

Helen Dudman said: “This is an exciting development for the two communities.

“The federation will serve to combine the strengths of both schools and will widen opportunities for pupils in terms of access to more specialist teaching and social interaction.”

The education authority is also supportive of the move.

“The local authority has given its full backing to this formal federation because it makes sense for the pupils of East Cowton and Kirkby Fleetham in every way,” said the county’s corporate director for children and young people, Pete Dwyer.

“We believe this is the best solution to ensure a robust and sustainable future for these schools which give great service to their rural communities.”

Children at the two schools have already had the opportunities to work together. For example during the Tour de France children worked on a joint project with a local artist, and enjoyed a day cycling at Croft circuit.

There are future opportunities planned and joint projects to extend their learning and their peer group .