DIDCOT Girls’ School and St Birinus School will join forces to become a multi-academy trust in a bid to achieve an ‘outstanding’ rating.

Headteachers and governors at the schools, both academies with ‘good’ Ofsted ratings, said the move was designed to guarantee “educational excellence”, value for money, and working more closely with partner primary schools.

The new trust could also see more co-educational lessons at the two single-sex schools, with Chinese and engineering lessons being offered to both boys and girls.

It is hoped the move could also protect both schools as they face competition from other secondary education providers, including the University Technical College for 14- to 19-year-olds which opens at Great Western Park in September.

The conversion to a multi-academy trust, dubbed Didcot Academy of Schools, is expected to take place on September 1, after consultation with the Department for Education.

Headteacher of Didcot Girls’ School Rachael Warwick said: “There is competition coming in the town and we want both schools to be very successful.

“The new schools have encouraged us to focus on the future and we think we will be stronger together than apart.

“Both schools are rated good but we want them to get outstanding and this should help us to achieve that.”

The move could lead to a limited number of mixed classes, Ms Warwick added, with Chinese being offered as a subject for boys, and girls getting the opportunity to study engineering.

Mrs Warwick and John Marston, acting headteacher designate at St Birinus, issued a joint statement announcing the trust plan, together with Dr Marcus Gover, chairman of the trust board for Didcot Academy of Schools, and Stephen White, chairman of governors for St Birinus School.

The statement said: “To create the leadership capacity needed for the trust, we are delighted to announced Mrs Warwick has been appointed as executive headteacher designate for Didcot Academy of Schools on a three-day a week basis from September 1.”

Mrs Warwick will remain headteacher of Didcot Girls’ School, a specialist language school, and Valerie Munro has been appointed associate headteacher from September.

John Marston has been appointed acting headteacher designate at St Birinus, a specialist technology college, and a new headteacher will be appointed in Easter next year.