TWO schools will be merged to form one primary from September 2015.

Essex County Council has given the thumbs-up to join Kingswood Infants and Kingswood Juniors Schools, in Basildon.

Both schools are making good progress after Ofsted said they both required improvement following inspections earlier this year.

The same amount of children, 420, will be taught at the one school, although both existing sites will be used.

The proposal to join the two schools was put forward earlier this year. The schools held a consultation and received 100 per cent support from the parents who responded.

Essex County Council said the schools would benefit by being more closely linked, sharing one headteacher and sharing utility bills.

Luke Bulpett, executive headteacher of the junior school, will take over the same role at the infant school from next month, with the rest of the changes coming in from September 2015.