A PLANNED merger between a top York schools group and a larger North Yorkshire academy chain has been given the go ahead.
The merger of The Sherburn, Tadcaster and Rural Multi Academy Trust (STAR) and South York Multi Academy Trust (SYMAT) will create a single multi-academy trust of 17 schools spanning York and North Yorkshire called Yorkshire Learning Trust.
The move follows a consultation and has been approved by the Department for Education. It will affect the 17 schools who combined have about 7,000 pupils and 1,000 staff.
SYMAT has five schools in addition to Fulford secondaries, all primaries: Dunnington CE; Archbishop of York CE Juniors; Wheldrake and Thorganby CE; Escrick and Bishopthorpe Infants.
STAR is made up of eleven schools in Sherburn, Tadcaster and Selby including Tadcaster Grammar and Sherburn High School.
Together they say that the plan is for the new merged trust to be in place for the beginning of next academic year.
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