Royston’s Meridian, Roysia and Greneway schools are set to merge into a single establishment from September 2018, their governing trust has announced.

Laura Rawlings, the present head of Greneway and Roysia, is expected to take the lead on amalgamating the three schools into one entity – which the Royston Schools Academy Trust has billed as offering “the best of all our existing schools”.

Mrs Rawlings said: “The intention is to use the expertise, drive and skill of the teachers across all schools to build an outstanding education for the young people of Royston.”

The RSAT, formed by the three schools in 2011 and based at Meridian in Garden Walk, has given no indication so far as to where the new school might be based or what it will be called.

The letter from RSAT chairman Carol Boston, sent out on Monday, advised parents that a single school under a single head – starting in Year 5 as part of a two-tier system – would help ensure “greater continuity of learning and success for pupils, year on year”.

The statement describes planned collaboration with Baldock’s Knights Templar School on developing the new Royston school’s sixth-form provision, and prospective links with other bodies such as the North Herts Teaching Alliance based at Hitchin Girls’ School, Dame Alice Owen’s School in Potters Bar and Watford Boys’ School.

“We see this as a collaborative process which will benefit all schools as we share our expertise and best practice with access to wider teaching,” the letter says.

“Laura Rawlings, current headteacher of Greneway and Roysia schools, will lead this transformation.

“This is the creation of a new school that offers the best of all our existing schools.

“We will hold a meeting later this month to seek your views both on these proposals and the next steps in our work. We are very excited about this project and are certain you will recognise the positive impact this will have on your children.”

Some parents have responded to the news with apprehension, with more than one expressing relief on the Royston Reporting Facebook page that they had already moved their children to other schools such as Bassingbourn Village College before a potential surge in applications.

Others have been more open to the change to a two-tier system, with one saying: “I think we all need to give them a chance to show us.”

Regardless of support or opposition to the plan, many have suggested that communication could have been better.

No venue or date has yet been announced for the Royston Schools Academy Trust’s meeting on the merger plan.