PARENTS and pupils are being urged to have their say on the merger of two Roman Catholic primary Schools in York, under a multi-million-pound city-wide shake-up.

Education officials at City of York Council are co-ordinating a £37 million overhaul of several local schools, which includes merging Our Lady’s RC and English Martyrs’ RC Primary Schools.

Derek Sutherland, the schools’ head teacher, has now invited parents and children from the two schools to attend meetings to learn more about the merger, which will see a new school built on the current English Martyrs’ site in Hamilton Drive.

He said the meetings would allow people to “learn more about the project” and provide “the chance to give your views and comments.” The first meeting will be held from 8pm to 9pm on Monday at English Martyrs’, with the second running from 7pm to 9pm on Wednesday at Our Lady’s in Windsor Garth.

James Alexander, Holgate councillor and York’s young people’s champion, said: “This is a big opportunity and we need to ensure that any changes are to the benefit of pupils and that they are consulted. We will also need to address the problems of travel to the school. There are already considerable problems at the English Martyrs’ site with school drop-offs.”

The merger is part of a Government plan to create schools fit for the 21st-century, which is seeing York get £37 million between this year and 2022, including £8 million in the first four years.

The plans also include a new school to replace those currently used by the federation of Rawcliffe Infant and Clifton Junior Schools.

When the announcements were first made, Mr Sutherland said: “Since September 2006, the schools have been successfully federated and we welcome the opportunities an amalgamation will bring when it happens.”