CHAPELFORD Village Primary, Barrowhall Primary and Park Road Community Primary could team up with Great Sankey High as more schools across the town look to join multi-academy trusts (MATs).

MATs are groups of schools operating under one academy trust and can help to foster good relationships between neighbouring schools, as well as helping them save money by sharing costs such as liability insurance.

The primary schools are currently consulting with parents and the community about becoming part of the Omega Trust, which runs Great Sankey High.

In a letter to parents, the governing body of Chapelford Village Primary said: “It is important to safeguard our school and its future, ensuring that we remain masters of our own destiny, to continue to provide the best education for our children in a climate of reducing budgets, increasing costs and changes to assessment and the curriculum.

“Omega MAT at this time is the best way of safeguarding our school’s values and ethos as well as maintaining our high expectations and standards.

“The Omega MAT vision is one that supports collaboration with other schools and will ensure Chapelford Village Primary School sustains positive and developmental links with other secondary and primary partners for the benefit of all our children.”

Barrow Hall Primary’s governing body also told parents it believes joining the trust is the best way to ‘safeguard’ the school’s future.

Park Road Community Primary told parents: “We are adamant that any schools we join with must have the same core values and educational beliefs as ourselves.

“We are also determined to ensure any decisions we make are done so in consultation with you and are based on clear benefits, ensuring it does not disadvantage our children in any way.”

Becoming an academy means the schools would no longer be run by Warrington Borough Council and would be free to set their own term times and not have to follow the national curriculum.

Staff would be employed by the academy trust.

Barrow Hall emphasised there would be no change to the school uniform, badge or name if it joined the Omega MAT. The consultation is also proposing pupils would have a place at Great Sankey High if they choose to continue their education within the trust.

A spokesman for Omega MAT said they were unable to comment until the consultation ends on January 20.

To have your say email barrowhall_primary@warrington.gov.uk, consultation@chapelfordvillageprimary.co.uk or parkroad_primary@warrington.gov.uk.