One plus one adds up to a happy merger for schools

THE merger of two of Edinburgh's smallest independent schools was today hailed as a "win-win" situation by its new headmaster.

The 100-pupil St Serf's School is to close in August next year and amalgamate with Clifton Hall on its large Newbridge campus.

The move will create a new 250-pupil school catering for youngsters aged three to 18, with St Serf's current Wester Coates base sold off.

The school will be known as Clifton Hall School (incorporating St Serf's School), and will mean for the first time children who attend Clifton Hall will not have to move to a new school when they reach S1. Rod Grant, headmaster at Clifton Hall said: "This is a great day for both schools. I am impressed by the levels of achievement attained by secondary pupils at St Serf's in public examinations.

"This, combined with the quality seen in both primary schools, will create an all-through school of excellence.

"The merger is a win-win situation for everybody."

He added: "We will continue to enhance the school whilst firmly retaining its co-educational, small-school ethos where pupils are encouraged to realise their full potential in a uniquely caring and supportive environment."

Clifton Hall - the former school of the late Scottish F1 racing driver Jim Clark and impressionist Rory Bremner - is set in 50 acres and has ample room to accommodate the new pupils. The estimated 1.9 million sell-off of St Serf's will go towards developing new facilities.

St Serf's, which was founded in 1930 on a site in Abercromby Place and moved to its current home in 1965, has around 30 staff, although it is not yet clear how many will move to the new school.

Governors of both schools have already been involved in lengthy negotiations and have promised to continue to work closely to ensure there is no interruption to the education of the children.

Buses will be provided to transport St Serf's pupils to their new home at Clifton Hall.

Professor Bart McGettrick, chairman of the board at Clifton Hall, and a former chairman of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools, said: "This is a unique opportunity to continue Clifton Hall's development.

"Both schools are committed to high standards and a personal form of education and I believe this will be enhanced by this exciting arrangement."

Pat Givan, chairman of the board at St Serf's, added: "We have enjoyed fruitful discussions with Clifton Hall and we firmly believe this move is in the best interests of all of the pupils."

Both schools have outstanding academic records. Clifton Hall received a strong report from inspectors earlier this year, which praised its confident, very well behaved nursery children and pupils, high-quality learning, and the effective use of the outdoor environment for children in the nursery and school.

HISTORY OF MERGERS

IT is 30 years since Edinburgh experienced a rash of mergers.

One exception was St Denis and Cranley girls' school in Merchiston, which was sold off after it merged with St Margaret's in 1998. Its site was snapped up by house-builder Stewart Milne for almost 5 million.

George Watson's boy's college, founded in 1741, merged with the later girls' college in 1974. The girls' college building is now part of University of Edinburgh's sociology department.

They were joined by pupils from John Watson's School in 1975. Its buildings were bought to house the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art.

Daniel Stewart's College, first opened in 1855, merged with another school for boys - Melville College - in 1972, to become Stewart's Melville College. Melville College left Melville Street in the West End to move into the current Queensferry Road campus.