THE MERGER of Tavistock's two independent schools will secure their future for the next 100 years and beyond, it was revealed this week.

From September this year, The Kelly College Foundation and Mount House School Trust will amalgamate to form the Mount Kelly Foundation, providing education for children and young people aged three to 18.

The senior school will remain on the Kelly College site, but the junior or prep schools will combine on the Mount House campus, just across the river.

The intention is to keep the Kelly College Preparatory School site and use it for various income-related projects, such as an adventure centre or sports hub.

The union of the two neighbouring schools combines 270 years of academic and sporting excellence and has been described as one of the most exciting developments in the South West.

Former students of the schools have gone on to become Olympians, politicians and other prominent public figures and the merger follows several years of discussion between the two governing bodies around a shared vision to bring together a wealth of expertise, resources and facilities for the benefit of all pupils.

Current headmaster of Kelly College Dr Graham Hawley said: 'I am thrilled that these two excellent schools are merging.

'Combining the best of both schools will provide greater opportunities for all the children and it secures the future of these schools for next 100 to 200 years.

'This is one of the most significant landmarks in the school's history. It is at least on a par with Kelly going co-educational and welcoming girls in in the 1970s.

'The governing bodies of both schools have grasped the chance of a generation to strengthen independent education in the South West.'

'All the junior children will combine at Mount House because that is the site that has the most capacity and the best facilities.

'The intention is to keep the Kelly Preparatory School site with the foundation.

'Certainly we have ideas moving forward to improve our sporting offer — that has been Kelly's ambition for quite some time and it is also the ambition of the new foundation.

'We are well down the road with plans for the 50m pool and that would be the start of a sport hub but there are other ideas as well including better hockey facilities.'

Dr Hawley said crucially Mount Kelly would be small enough to allow the heads to know all the children and the pastoral care to continue to thrive.

'We do not want to be a huge institution,' he said.

'The school will be a really healthy size to allow the financial headroom for further investment.

'Having one single campus will bring benefits educationally and economically.'

Dr Hawley said he did not anticipate any redundancies from the merger, but the new structure of the school was something that was being worked on in the next phase.

Dr Hawley is due to be succeeded by Mark Semmence from Rugby School in September, whose title will be Foundation principal and CEO.

Patrick Savage, currently headmaster at Mount House School, will share the role of head of the Mount Kelly Preparatory School with Matthew Foale who is currently headmaster at Kelly College Preparatory School.

Mr Savage said: 'This marks an exciting and important development for current, and prospective, Mount House families.

'The Mount Kelly Prep School experience will be one of great breadth and depth for pupils. 

'They will have the opportunity to experience inspirational teaching in a highly supportive environment with first class facilities, a vibrant co-curricular sporting and cultural life with an extended school community of pupils and staff.'

Mr Savage added: 'The joining of these two important institutions will enable us to continue to provide outstanding preparation for the top senior schools of parents' choice. 

'We are extremely excited about the merger and very much look forward to welcoming new pupils for the 2014 academic year.'

Matthew Foale said: 'This is a very exciting time and a wonderful opportunity for all of the children.

'Mount Kelly will offer our children outstanding opportunities and they will benefit from some quite superb facilities, in a thriving and ambitious environment.'

Kelly College was founded in 1877 by Admiral Benedictus Marwood Kelly as a boarding school 'for the sons of Naval Officers and other gentlemen.'

Mount House School was founded in 1881 in Plymouth where it thrived and in 1900 it moved to a larger premises at Mount House in Plymouth.

In 1940 it moved to its current site on the 55-acre Mount Tavy estate in Tavistock. The school became co-educational in 1996, the same year it opened its pre-prep for three to seven year olds.

Kelly has built a reputation for swimming. Led by Olympian Robin Brew, its pupils and alumni have won a total of 29 Olympic and Commonwealth medals over the last 30 years with Sharron Davies as one of its most celebrated swimmers.

Famous alumni of Mount House include Sir David Owen MP, author and writer Peter Hitchens, his journalist brother Christopher Hitchens and former England Rugby Captain Philip de Glanville.

A ceremony to mark the union of the two schools is planned for the summer term.