TWO of the best known independent girls' schools in the North-East have announced they are to merge.

Central Newcastle High School and Newcastle upon Tyne Church High School announced plans to join together to form Newcastle High School for Girls.

The new school, based in Jesmond, will educate girls aged from three to 18.

Both schools were founded in the late 19th century and are near neighbours.

As a member of the Girls' Day School Trust staff and students will benefit from the support and advice from other schools in the network.

Central High head, Hilary French - who will become head of the new school when it is launched in September 2014 - said: "Newcastle High School for Girls will give girls the very best start in life and imbue them with the confidence and self-belief to deal with whatever life might throw at them in university and beyond."

Joy Gatenby, head of Church High, will stay on full-time as an executive advisor to the new school until her retirement in July 2015. She said: "Our girls will benefit from excellent, focused teaching, the use of digital technology and superb facilities."

The two existing schools will operate in parallel for the next academic year, fully merging in September 2014 when the current crop of A Level and GCSE students have finished their courses.

The Girls Day School Trust will be making a substantial financial investment in transforming the buildings and creating state-of-the-art facilities.

The proposal is to redevelop the Church High site on Tankerville Terrace for use as the senior school and sixth form for girls aged 11-18, while the younger pupils will be accommodated at Central High's newly renovated Chapman House on Sandyford Park.