ACADEMY plans to link three Blackbird Leys schools with a leading independent school have all now been approved.

The independent Dragon School will work with Pegasus, Windale and Orchard Meadow primary schools in a multi-academy trust.

The Department for Education (DfE) has approved academy orders for Windale and Orchard Meadow, having approved Pegasus this year.

Academy status will give the schools increased freedoms over curriculum, staffing and budget.

Though the Dragon will not put in cash, it will allow use of its staff, science, art, music and sporting facilities.

Dragon head of external relations Jenny Schneider said: “The Dragon looks forward to contributing through the new trust to sustaining and supporting all the good work being done in all three schools.”

She said: “Although the academy now has DfE agreement in principle, there are further stages to go through now this point has been reached and the plans for the new academy will not be agreed finally until these are completed.

“These include formal consultation with parents, staff and other local stakeholders, which will take place shortly, and final agreement with the DfE of governance and funding arrangements.

“The target or completion is June 1 – if these last stages are completed the new primary academy will then be created.”

Each school will have its own head of school, under executive headteacher Jill Hudson, formerly head at Pegasus.

Windale and Orchard Meadow headteachers Maureen Thompson and Chris Price left at the end of December.

Ms Schneider said one head of school had been appointed but refused to say at which school. The other two sponsors are local charities the Hamilton Trust and Family Links.

Orchard Meadow and Windale had been previously told to become academies after failing to meet Government standards. Windale has since been rated good by Ofsted. Orchard Meadow was placed in special measures and has since been judged to have made reasonable progress. Pegasus is also rated good.