School leaders say moves to merge two primary schools in North Yorkshire will improve teaching for hundreds of children and help give them the best start to their education.

The proposals to create a single school for children aged three to 11 in Catterick Garrison have been recommended for approval.

Members of North Yorkshire Council’s executive will meet next week to discuss plans to combine Wavell Community Junior School and Wavell Community Infant School to form one single school from April next year.

Both schools currently serve the same catchment area in the north of Catterick Garrison and the infant and junior schools have neighbouring buildings.

Wavell Federation’s governors have agreed that amalgamating the schools to create an all-through primary school is the next logical step.

With a capacity of 420 places, the single primary school would continue to work across the existing buildings for both current schools.

A six-week consultation carried out earlier in the summer outlined how the proposal would provide greater stability and ensure the amalgamated school can maintain the best possible environment for pupils.

A public meeting was held and a significant majority of respondents supported the proposal. North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for education, learning and skills, Cllr Annabel Wilkinson, said: “The amalgamation will bring together the identities and strengths of both schools, enabling them to make the best use of the staff expertise.

“We, as a council, are keen to provide greater stability and the amalgamated school would not only deliver a smoother transition between Key Stages, but it would also help to ensure that the good progress currently made by children is maintained.”

If the proposals are given the go-ahead by the Executive, statutory notices will be published for representations to be made for four-weeks up to October 9.

A final decision is then due to be taken by North Yorkshire Council’s Executive on Tuesday, October 17. If agreed, the schools would amalgamate from April 8 next year.

The newly amalgamated school would be called Wavell Community Primary School.