COUNTY education chiefs have admitted the re-organisation of schools on Sheppey could cost far more than the £20million they have estimated.

The admission came as education officials were quizzed by backbench councillors over the possible ending of the island’s middle school system.

Conservative county councillor Leyland Ridings, KCC’s cabinet member for schools, said he did not believe the £20m KCC had estimated for a possible overhaul of schools was realistic.

The education authority is consulting on whether to end Sheppey’s middle school system and bring it into line with the rest of the county, with pupils transferring from primary schools to secondary at 11.

Cllr Ridings, who will recommend what option KCC should take on re-organisation, told a meeting of KCC’s Cabinet Scutiny committee:

“The costs of £20million does not seem to me to be adequate, even if the system was to stay as it is. It would need to be significantly larger but there are organisations I believe we could tap in to and lever funding from.”

More than half the £20m would have to be spent on enlarging St George’s Middle School which would become a secondary school.

Extra money could be squeezed out of developers who could be asked to contribute to the costs of new schools when they apply to build homes.

There was also an admission that classroom standards on the Island, which have been cited as one of the reasons for change, may not improve in the short to medium term.

Dr Ian Craig, KCC’s assistant director of education, told the meeting: “There is still likely to be a gap [in standards] between the island and the Kent average and the national average.”

Meanwhile, two headteachers whose schools would be affected by any shake-up have given differing verdicts on the idea.

Alan Beyford, of West Minster Primary School, told the same meeting that change was essential if Sheppey was to break out of a cycle of despair and raise the island’s self-esteem.

But he warned that KCC would need to do much more than re-organise schools.

“If we are to compete socially, academically and economically, we must receive a whole package of change. We have the promise of a new school and potentially the expansion of another. We need new schools, too.”

“Sheppey children do not have the same equality of access to a diverse system of education as others do. They should have greater expectations than just working at the till at Tesco. They should be able to compete on a level playing field and not be seen as different just because all the statistics say they should fail,” he said.

Mike Meredith, the head of Danley Middle School, made clear he opposed change and urged KCC to “leave us alone.”

He too asked if KCC had the cash, warning: “If something is to be changed, it needs proper resources.”