The creation of a controversial academy school at Strood will be for the benefit of future generations of children.

That was the view of Medway’s education chief Cllr Les Wicks as Cabinet colleagues formally approved plans to merge Chapter and Temple Schools.

He told the all-Tory meeting on Tuesday that he agreed with virtually all the points made by the governors of one of the schools to close.

Listened to by a packed gallery at Gun Wharf, Cllr Wicks said the governors of Chapter School were the only people to object to the plan.

“They made four basic points of formal objection to the plans,” he said.

“They said the school did a good job - there is no question about it.

“They are also likely to meet the national challenges by the 2011 target date, and we would not argue with that.

“It has a family ethos at the school. I agree with that.

“However, we have falling roles at Temple School, and it will not be viable in the next few years.

“The council has to do something about it, and the best we can do is go for the academy.”

He said pupils would have the best opportunity of going on to higher education thanks to the main sponsor, the University of the Creative Arts.

The Cabinet voted unanimously to close both the existing schools on August 31 next year as the next stage in the creation of the academy.