Hull Grammar School has been sold for more than �4m

It has been bought from Nord Anglia Education by the Church Schools Company (CSCo), a Christian educational charity that already owns Hull High School.

When the deal is completed in mid-February, discussions will be held with parents, staffs and pupils on the best ways to bring the two independent schools together, a CSCo spokesman said.

Hull Grammar is currently co-educational and the High School is girls-only for 11 to 18-year-olds.

The proposal is to create a single co-educational school of about 850 pupils from September 2005.

This merger provides a great opportunity for pupils, staff and parents Sir Ewan Harper

Preliminary details of a �6m investment plan were sent to parents of children at the two schools at the weekend in the form of a discussion document: A New School for Hull.

The plans include a new sports hall, an all-weather pitch, state-of-the-art science laboratories, and interactive electronic white boards and access to the internet in all major classrooms.

A series of consultation meetings with parents is to be arranged over the next few months.

In a foreword to the document, Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, who is chairman of CSCo, says: "We feel that the moment is now right to bring the two schools together."

Merger 'right'

He added: "This will create a single strong, thriving family school, for children of all faiths and of none, able to compete with the very best."

Marcel van Miert, managing director of Nord Anglia's schools division, which bought the grammar school for �900,000 in 1991, said: "Discussions with CSCo quickly revealed that a merger was the right solution for both schools.

"We agreed that CSCo would be better able to bring this about because of its past experience of merging schools and plans to develop the Hull High School site where the new school will be located."

Sir Ewan Harper, chief executive of the Church Schools Company, said: "This merger provides a great opportunity for pupils, staff and parents at both schools.

"We intend to take the best from Hull High School and Hull Grammar School to create a dynamic 21st century learning environment."