A pair of schools are to join forces next month to boost education for children in a rapidly expanding town.

Aylsham High School, which has a good Ofsted rating, and Bure Valley School, also in Aylsham, will form a partnership from June 1.

Duncan Spalding, headteacher of Aylsham High for seven years, will become executive headteacher for both schools as well as continuing to lead the high school, which has 1,050 students aged 11-16.

The current deputy headteacher of Bure Valley School, Kathryn Burgess, will take on the new head of school role on June 1, after its current headteacher Doug Dale finishes on May 31.

She will take on the day-to-day running of the school and will have support from two assistant headteachers – one of which will be current teacher Helen Pope and the other a new recruit starting in September.

Bure Valley, which has 256 pupils aged seven to 11 years old, was told by Ofsted in November 2013 it required improvement, but Mrs Burgess said it was making good progress.

The ethos, names and uniforms of both schools will remain the same, as will the separate school governing bodies and teaching staff.

Mr Spalding said: 'It is a tremendously exciting opportunity to harness the capacity of two schools for the benefit of all our children, staff and families.

'I am looking forward to working together in innovative and creative ways to ensure that we provide the very highest standards of education for all our young people.'

When Mr Spalding is not carrying out the day-to-day leadership of the high school, its director of learning, Phil Brockington, will take on that role.

Despite the schools keeping their individual characters and identities, the partnership will allow teachers and governors to learn from each other and 'enhance' leadership.

Do you have an education story? Email education correspondent martin.george@archant.co.uk or call 01603 772468.