LAST week the Worcester News exclusively revealed that the Royal Grammar School Worcester was to merge with its neighbour the Alice Ottley School.

News that the school would teach 1,500 boys and girls has been met with widespread interest throughout the city.

Yesterday we published an article which contained parts of a statement from the headteacher of The King's School, Worcester, Tim Keyes.

Because of the great interest in this topic we print here the statement in full: "I am interested to read of the merger between the Alice Ottley School and Worcester Royal Grammar school, but not surprised as it seems to have been an open secret for some time. The Alice Ottley governing body approached King's two years ago to explore possible amalgamation, so we knew then that they were experiencing difficulties. The AO has been a good school but the mood of the times, for some good reasons, is against single-sex education. When Worcester Royal Grammar school made a sudden decision to take in girls in 2002 it came as quite a surprise at the time, but it clearly makes sense for both schools to pool resources and help each other at this stage, not least because they are neighbours.

"The road to genuine coeducation (in culture and balance) is a long one, as we know well having gone through that process in 1991. You can't just put a (largely) boys' school and a girls' school together and call it coeducation, but they will know that. There will be considerable upheaval for some time as they decide how to re-allocate space, how to cope with unnecessary duplication of resources, how to merge two sets of teachers and pupils from very different cultures with different expectations, and how to reduce the number of teachers to an efficient level.

"The greatest challenge will be to establish a new common ethos. What appeals to parents and children when they look at any school is not predominantly buildings, resources and statistics. The heart of a school is the way in which pupils interact with their teachers and with each other. It will take time, hard work and sensitivity to establish a new ethos in which everyone feels comfortable, supported and appropriately challenged. That is why I take with a pinch of salt the bold claim of those involved with the merged school that it will be the first choice for children and parents in Worcestershire'.

"They are, from September, a new school which must prove itself afresh. I wish the two schools well as they prepare to become one, though I suppose that I regret the narrowing of choice for Worcester parents looking for independent education."

Tim Keyes Headmaster of the King's School