An MP has called for “ill-thought through” plans for a school merger to be scrapped, claiming that parents and pupils deserve better.

The Academies Enterprise Trust is consulting on plans to amalgamate New Rickstones Acadamy and Maltings Academy in Witham.

About 330 parents attended a consultation at New Rickstones on October 9 following a similar meeting at Maltings the previous week.

Parents voiced their fears over disruption to their children’s education and results, travelling between the two sites, freedom of choice and bullying.

Ms Patel, who has written to the Secretary of State Nicky Morgan, said: “AET’s academy merger plans are unconvincing and could have a harmful effect on school standards.

“Parents and pupils deserve much better and AET should look again at how standards and choice can be improved and take these ill-thought-through merger plans off the table.”

John Szynal, principal of Maltings, will be principal designate of the new merged academy.

He will be supported in his new role by Trenica King, head of New Rickstones, if the plan goes ahead.

Stephen Chamberlain, regional director of the AET, said without a merger, staff at both schools would face redundancies, oversubscribed Maltings would have to reduce its curriculum choices and pupils at New Rickstones would not be offered triple science or a second language at GCSE.

For the full story, see this week's Witham Times.