PARENTS aired their concerns at a public meeting about turning two Basildon schools into a £42 million academy.

Barstable and Chalvedon schools are set to close at the end of August next year and reopen as an academy for businesss and sport.

Parents who attended the meeting voiced worries about maintaining good educational standards in such a big school.

Mother-of-four Marianne Worsell, who has two boys at Chalvedon, said: "To start with, because of the way Barstable has been, we were opposed to the idea, but eventually it could be a good thing.

"I just worry because it's going to be a big school and the more under-achieving children there are, the further the school could be dragged down." Her husband Philip added: "People are resigned to this happening.

"We have children who are going to be involved so there's no point being down about it."

Father-of-two Mark Brotherton, who already has one daughter at Barstable, said: "I have concerns over still not knowing where the schools will be based.

"If you live on the far side of Pitsea, there will be a distance for them to travel and the bus route isn't good."

The academy will be split into two sites at the existing schools - with the Barstable in Timberlog Lane, Basildon, teaching 11 to 14-year-olds, while Chalvedon in Wickford Avenue, Pitsea, will cater for 14 to 19-year-olds.

The sites are expected to formally close at the end of the summer term in 2008 and reopen as an academy in September 2008 with no disruption to teaching.

It will be the largest of its kind in the country when finished and will include a complete remodelling of both sites, with facilities improved by 2010.

The public consultation is due to last six weeks.

All £42m of funding for the project is coming from the Department for Children, Schools and Families.