55% of such mergers resulted in a decline in exam results - KH

And this does not even include the split site problem....

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23371813-school-mergers-can-worsen-results.do

More than half of school mergers lead to a drop in exam results, according to new research.

Ministers want to encourage more successful schools to form federations with weaker schools in an effort to drive up standards, but research from the Hay Group consultancy firm found 55% of such mergers resulted in a decline in exam results over the first three years.

The study examined both federations between two schools and formal mergers where two schools become one.

Russell Hobby, the education consultant at Hay Group responsible for the research, said: "As the corporate sector shows, mergers are complex and problematic transactions.

"Schools need resources and support to navigate the cultural as well as logistical challenges a merger presents. The number of schools faltering following a merger is worryingly high, and with more mergers planned, this could affect thousands of students."

The findings varied between primary and secondary education, with 68% of merged secondary schools seeing an ongoing drop in performance.

Half of primary schools experienced a sustained decline in academic results after a merger.

The research was based on a detailed study of 73 mergers over the last six years, involving a total of 207 schools.

The study drew parallels with the private sector, where 50-70% of corporate mergers and acquisitions fail to deliver on their objectives, and share price falls by 10% on average in the first year after a merger, but the Hay Group said decline was not the inevitable consequence of a merger, with one fifth (21%) of merged schools immediately improving performance.

More than a quarter - 28% - of schools experienced a one or two-year decline following a merger, but then recovered.