Schools close under academy plan

Plans to close three secondary schools in a seaside town and replace them with two academies are being considered.

The proposals affect the Grove, Filsham Valley, and Hillcrest schools in Hastings, which would all close.

East Sussex County Council's cabinet will consider whether to push the plans forward at a meeting next Tuesday.

Papers being submitted to the meeting state the three schools currently fall below government targets and the move will raise standards.

The University of Brighton and British Telecom have been named as potential co-sponsors under the academy plans, in a bid to combine higher education expertise with business strengths.

The response of a critic of academy plans

'Explore issues'

A report for the meeting said: "It is important to emphasise that the two academies would be new schools and that all three existing schools would close.

"It is not a question of simply choosing one of the three to close."

If the cabinet approves the plans on 8 July, the county council will prepare an expression of interest to be submitted to the government.

The report by children's services director Matt Dunkley said the meeting would be an opportunity to explore issues before a final decision was made.