A city secondary school is talking with a village high school about closer working including plans for a joint educational facility with a business focus at its existing urban location.

Queen’s Park High School in Handbridge is in discussions with Christleton High School – an existing academy funded directly from the Department for Education – about joining its Christleton Learning Trust after converting to an academy.

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It follows a recent announcement by Chancellor George Osborne that all schools in England must become academies by 2020 or have official plans to do so by 2022 despite concerns by teaching unions.

Queen's Park High School in Handbridge.

Governors at Queen’s Park High have agreed to launch the process that would see their school convert to academy status and become part of the newly-formed Christleton Learning Trust, one of a number of Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs) being created across the UK.

While the trust will promote joint working, it has been stressed that both Queen’s Park High and Christleton would ‘retain their brands, unique values and much of their independence’.

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Last year Christleton High tried to set up an additional studio school, with a business focus, aimed at the 14-19 age group. It was shelved because the Department for Education (DfE) was unable for ‘financial reasons’ to exchange contracts on an unnamed city centre property now known to be the former Lloyds bank office within Knights Court on the corner of St Martin’s Way and Weaver Street.

Prime Minister David Cameron arrives at Christleton High School during last year's election campaign shortly after he gave the go-ahead for its studio school vision.

Under the new plans, it is proposed the idea would be resurrected with the new studio buildings and facilities based on the QPHS site.

Students attending the studio school would participate in programmes to help them transition from education to employment with a range of local business partners, including Bank of America Merrill Lynch .

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Lyndsay Watterson, headteacher of QPHS, said “For our school, joining Christleton Learning Trust opens up the next chapter for us in our ambitions for educational excellence within our locality. We are excited by the opportunities that this collaboration will bring both for students and staff across the three schools.”

Tony Lamberton, executive headteacher of Christleton High School

Christleton’s executive headteacher Tony Lamberton commented: “Whilst the trust will maximise opportunities for co-working and collaboration for the benefit of future generations of students, it will also enable each of the participating schools to retain their brands, unique values and much of their independence.”

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He added: “I hope that QPHS stakeholders will recognise the benefits that academy status can deliver and enable us to collectively flourish.”

Trustees from Christleton Learning Trust said in a statement: “We firmly believe that the best way of raising the bar on the quality and choice of education in and around the Chester area is by effective collaboration through the structure of a Multi-Academy Trust.”

A consultation involving the Queen’s Park High School parents and community about becoming an academy and subsequently joining the trust begins today (Thursday, April 21) and ends at 12.30pm on Monday, May 9.