By Gordon Berry

TWO OF Scotland’s well-known private schools, both in St Andrews, are to merge in a deal which will see the removal of what is seen as unnecessary and potentially damaging competition.

St Leonards junior and middle schools and New Park School are to become one unit, and that the prime site occupied by New Park at Hepburn Gardens in the west of the town, is to be sold.

There are also to be some redundancies , although it is expected that the numbers, which are not yet known, will be small.

The merger has come at time when there has been a general decline in the lucrative boarding market at such schools, with more reliance on day pupils.

The arrangement will create a new school known as St Leonards-New Park. Parents of the 396 pupils have been informed by letter that the move is to go ahead.

The news came from Mr Martin Passmore, chairman of New Park, and Sir Fraser Morrison, chairman of St Leonards, who said that the merged schools would operate from the St Leonards complex from September.

Is has also been made clear that the New Park school site will be sold and the proceeds will be used to form a trust fund which will benefit the new school and other educational projects.

Agreement has been reached in the wake of lengthy discussions. Andrew Donald, headmaster of New Park, is to continue in this role at the merged schools. He will be working under the direction of St Leonards headmaster Robert Tims.

Three members of the present New Park board, chairman Martin Passmore, Aubyn Stewart-Wilson and Hamish Aldridge will join the St Leonards council, which will be the governing body of St Leonards-NewPark.

Mr Passmore said yesterday that in deciding to relocate to the St Leonards site, it was clear that this location offered far more possibilities than New Park.

He said that not only will the pupils have access to the grounds at St Leonards, but all the facilities of St Leonards senior school will be available to the junior school. The teaching staff of St Leonards-New Park would come from both schools.

In his letter to St Leonards’ parents Sir Fraser Morrison said that the formation of St Leonards-New Park School was good news for all concerned and particularly for the future of independent education in the area.

“Instead of two schools working in competition we have the opportunity to work as one unit to build what we intend to be one of the very best junior schools in the country.”