SKIPTON Girls' High School is to join forces with Harrogate High School, a mixed school, to form a new multi-academy trust.

Both schools have been consulting on the plans since last November and the new set up, taking the name Northern Star Academies Trust, is expected to take effect from this spring.

Staff and governors at both schools have pledged that day-to-day operations will not change and staff will not be asked to work in a partner school, if they do not wish.

Benefits are said to include sharing expertise and resources, better development of staff opportunities, centralised services such as teacher training and a greater capacity to support other local schools.

A spokesman for the proposals said: "Both schools already work together under an umbrella trust agreement which is a looser arrangement than a MAT.

"For some time governors at both academy trusts have been exploring ways in which the two schools can work more closely together in order to improve the academic success and life chances of the students.

"Our strong partnership work to date has shown that we share the same ethos and passion for teaching and learning."

The MAT would have a board of directors and individual schools would retain their own local government body and individual admission policies.

Funding will be governed through a master funding agreement between the Secretary of State and the MAT and supplemental agreements between the Secretary of State and each school.