PARENTS have reacted angrily to news of two independent schools merging "without consultation".

It was announced this week that the Elms School and the Downs School, which are a mile apart in Colwall, near Ledbury, would be merging under the umbrella of Malvern College.

The move has provoked an angry reaction from parents from the Downs School on social media, with a number saying they were not consulted over the plans.

The new school "Elmsdown" would be based at the current site of the Elms in Colwall and would see pupils moved from the Downs, which is Malvern College's prep school, to the Elms.

Responding to comments on its Facebook page, the Downs School said a Q&A session would be held this Friday to address concerns held by parents.

In response, one parent wrote: "I'm quite shocked at how this has happened with absolutely zero transparency, consultation and respect for people who have entrusted our children's education to The Downs.

"It will be interesting to see what is said on Friday."

Another wrote: "We are devastated.

"A terrible decision made without considering the very people that fund the school."

The move was announced via a letter to parents on April 19 which confirmed the move would take place from September 2023.

In the letter, discussions were said to have taken place over a number of months involving staff at both schools and representatives from Malvern College.

Keith Metcalfe, headmaster at Malvern College, said: "We are delighted to be welcoming The Elms into our growing family of schools.

"Our commitment to developing outstanding young people with the skills, resilience and initiative to flourish in a rapidly changing global landscape starts from a young age.

"The Elms shares our values and we look forward to working together in the best interests of everyone in our school community."

Chris Hattam, headmaster at The Elms, said: "The Elms, The Downs Malvern and Malvern College all share the same fundamental values.

"Our commitment is not just to providing a first class education, but also to nurturing young people in a beautiful rural location, where our children can thrive.

"By combining the experience of all three establishments and learning from each other, our children will continue to receive the very best education possible."