PLANS which could change the borough’s school system have been delayed until 2016.
Tudor Grange Academy, formerly known as Kingsley College, had been deciding whether to take in children from the age of 11 as of next year.
The move was met with a protest from people who were concerned it could destabilise the town’s middle schools and lead to the creation of a two tier education system.
During the consultation, governors said the proposal had caused uncertainty and confusion especially among parents, while local school leaders indicated they wanted a town-wide review by Worcestershire County Council to assure changes were carried out in a co-ordinated way.
They agreed to submit a business case before September 1 to the Education Funding Agency asking to for the age range to be changes from 2016.
Following a decision meeting this month, chair of governors Professor Michael Winterbottom said: “Our commitment to improving education for our students remains as strong as ever.
“However, we recognise there is now the potential for a realistic and exciting opportunity for Tudor Grange Academy Redditch to achieve what we need to for our own students as part of a wider reorganisation co-ordinated by the Local Authority.
“We therefore propose to implement the new age range from September 2016. ’
MP Karen Lumley said TGAR were entitled to put through the proposal, as were all schools, but the future of children’s education should not be compromised.
She added she was meeting with schools and the county council to talk through the plans as well as the EFA and the school’s new headteacher.
“It is important we sit round the table as pyramids to look at what we can do and what the schools to do and what is best for our children’s education.
“We have got schools that have come up leaps and bounds in the last four years and I do not want anything to stop that.”
