JUST three per cent of parents responded to a consultation over whether Barstable and Chalvedon schools in Basildon should merge into a federation in the new year.

Chalvedon headteacher, Alan Roach, said he saw the low response rate as a positive thing.

And as the consultation ended he admitted he hadn't expected many more to send the document back to them.

He said: "As a federation the impact on the children other than in terms of improving the situation, isn't great. They will stay in their original schools and the same classes as before.

"A lot of the worries people have don't relate to the federation at all, it just means that they are seperate schools which are linked by the same principal and governing body."

He said he felt people had realised that there wouldn't be a negative impact -- and so had felt they didn't need to air their opinions.

Published Thursday, November 16, 2005