A MOVE to merge two primary schools and use one of the sites to expand special school provision is set to be considered by councillors.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive will examine a proposal to amalgamate Moorside Infant School and Moorside Junior School in Ripon, to create a single school on the junior school site, and create satellite specialist provision for Mowbray School, Bedale on the infant school site.

Following a consultation exercise, it has been proposed the merger would happen in April and the satellite school serving children aged four to 11 be launched next September.

An officers’ report to the executive states it is planned to cut maximum admissions at the merged school from 36 to 30, leading to an overall reduction of 42 mainstream primary school places.

The report states: “It is considered that this is outweighed by the ability for an amalgamated Moorside school on a single site to deliver a balanced budget, while the infant school site offers the potential to provide additional specialist school places created through a new satellite provision.

“The reduction in mainstream school places at Moorside, should the amalgamation proceed, is unlikely to create a shortfall in the wider area.”

Following amalgamation, there would be 1,412 primary places in the Ripon area.