PLANS to create what would have been the biggest secondary school in England have been thrown out.

Kent County Council (KCC) has been planning an Academy for Sheppey as part of the switch from three to two-tier education and wanted to contain it on one site at Minster College, against Islanders and teachers' wishes.

But Schools Minister Lord Adonis has announced that both the Government and KCC will increase funding to £50million to provide two secondary schools at Minster College and the Cheyne Middle School site.

The announcement followed a report by former schools inspector Maurice Smith, who spent five weeks talking to politicians, head teachers, teachers, pupils and parents earlier this year.

He recommends that Danley Middle School in Halfway be sold off for housing and the custom-built St George's Middle School in Minster should become a primary school.

Mr Smith said with the exception of one primary head teacher everyone he spoke to opposed the single-site option.

He said: "Islanders resent the proposal, which they see as driven by individuals who would not implement it in their own educational environments.

"My view is that a two-site solution would have the best prospect of delivering secondary educational excellence in a reasonable and pragmatic sized environment."

Sheppey MP Derek Wyatt (Lab) welcomed the announcement with both relief and excitement.

He said: "We have waited a long time to resolve this issue but now I hope we can all move forward together.

"Secondary education on Sheppey had to change. We cannot let our youngsters down and without a major improvement in results; Sheppey young people would have been left behind in the modern world.

"Without a major change in our secondary education, much of the new investment would have been wasted.

"There will naturally be some concerns about the loss of the Danley site and the conversion of St George’s to a primary school. However, I sincerely hope that Islanders will see the broad picture and the vital importance of giving secondary education on Sheppey a new chance."

A statement from sponsors Dulwich College, lead sponsor, KCC and Canterbury Diocese of the Church of England, said: "The project steering group will be working hard over the summer to achieve a funding agreement for the Isle of Sheppey Academy with the Government by January 2008.

"We will continue to engage with parents and other stakeholders throughout this process, with a view to opening the Academy, in the interim, in existing buildings in September 2008 but a final decision on timing will be made in due course.

"A detailed newsletter will be issued to the Sheppey community in September, and, in the meantime, we will make further information available via the local media and on the project website: www.theisleofsheppeyacademyproject.org.uk."

* For full reaction to the news see next week's Sheerness Times Guardian.