A merger between two popular city schools has been ruled out.

Brighton and Hove City Council said it had decided against amalgammating Davigdor Infants and Somerhill Junior, next door to each other in Somerhill Avenue, Hove.

A review was triggered last term when Somerhill headteacher Ben Parkhurst announced plans to retire.

The council has a policy of looking to carry out mergers whenever a head leaves a pair of linked infant and junior schools, to save money and remove a transition stage for children.

The scheme has prompted protests from parents opposed to the creation of larger schools.

The council said after consultations with the governors of Davigdor and Somerhill it had decided against combining them to form a 900 pupil super-school.

The current largest primary in the city is St Luke's, in St Luke's Terrace, Brighton, with 600 pupils.

Governors of the two schools will instead work more closely together.

Shaun Collins, deputy head of Middle Street Primary, in Brighton, has been appointed new headteacher of Somerhill Junior.

His old school has begun advertising for a replacement.