THE headteacher at a Kidlington nursery and primary school fears a decision to merge them will result in a cut in funding.

At a meeting at County Hall yesterday, Oxfordshire County Council approved the decision to close West Kidlington Nursery School and extend West Kidlington Primary School, in Oxford Road, effectively merging the two.

They are currently funded separately but the decision means the primary school will admit threeyear- olds and take the funding.

Officers from the council’s school organisation and planning team said keeping the two establishments separate posed “no financial advantage.”

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But headteacher Eugene Symonds predicted the move would cause a “financial headache.”

Mr Symonds was worried a merger could see the overall level of funding drop.

He hoped current teaching levels, pupil numbers and the location of the nursery block would not be affected, but said the school could be forced to spend less money on gas, electricity, supply teachers and caretakers.

He said: “The county council has told us that we have to to do this because of finance.

“Provision will remain the same but we may have to find money from the whole school to fund both establishments.”

Diane Cameron, from the school organisation and planning team, spoke at the meeting to allay fears the decision would mean less cash for the school.

Ms Cameron said: “We have made this decision so that the school does not have to run two separate budgets. They will get funding per pupil.

“At no point did West Kidlington Primary and Nursery Schools make any objections during consultation.”