Old private school forced into merger

One of Auckland's oldest private schools has been forced into a merger because it cannot afford to keep going on its own.

The trust board of Corran School in Remuera said yesterday the school would merge with Saint Kentigern and from the first term next year would be renamed Saint Kentigern School for Girls at Corran.

Only students from the primary school - Year 1 to 8 - would remain on the school's Remuera Rd site, where it has been for more than half a century.

The school's 145 senior pupils will be offered places at Saint Kentigern College in Pakuranga. Girls in Years 12 and 13 will have the option of remaining at Corran to complete their Cambridge qualification provided there are enough students for a class.

All assets, liabilities and operations of the Corran School Trust Board will be transferred to the Saint Kentigern Trust Board, which runs a primary and intermediate school for boys in Remuera and an intermediate and secondary co-ed school in Pakuranga.

Corran Trust Board chairman Brent von Sierakowski said that despite the school's best efforts over the past five years, continuing financial difficulties meant the school could not keep going.

The board was confident the merger was the best solution for all involved.

Corran School began as a private kindergarten and preparatory school for girls and boys in a room at the back of the Remuera Library in Auckland in 1947.

It grew into a private day school for primary- and intermediate-aged girls. The school then moved to what is now known as Corran House on Remuera Rd a stately old home built in the first decade of the 20th century.

Saint Kentigern Trust Board chairman Bruce Goodfellow said the schools had a great deal in common - they shared Christian values and a commitment to providing excellent education.

"While this merger will bring some challenges, we are confident this is a great solution for all concerned."

He said there was little difference in the fees charged between the two schools.

But because parents of Corran School girls had already paid a hefty fee for the school uniform, Saint Kentigern would provide them with a full uniform worth $1200.

Girls now make up 33 per cent of the student roll at Saint Kentigern College and the merger will add up to 83 more senior students from Corran to the female side.

"This will enable us now to have pre-school for boys and girls and have that through to Year 13," Mr Goodfellow said.

The board envisages the two primary schools will work closely together.

He said discussions had been going on for quite a while.

The executive director of Independent Schools of New Zealand, Deborah James, said she could not comment on the merger specifically.

But she said: "In light of the current economic climate and in light of the present Government subsidy funding regime I would suggest that it's probably not surprising".

Last week private schools Wanganui Collegiate and St George's School announced they would merge into a single school with students from Years 1 to 13 from next year.

Until now both have been run as separate schools overseen by a single board, the Whanganui College Board of Trustees.

Late last year the independent Hill Top School in Blockhouse Bay revealed it was having financial problems, and the Montessori School in Parnell closed its doors this year.