PLANS are being discussed to relocate Dover’s two grammar schools close to Archers Court Maths and Computing College, the Express has learned.

The idea is for both establishments to move into separate state-of-the-art buildings with Kent County Council viewing Whitfield as a possible location.

Schools for the future: An artist’s impression of what the Dover schools could look like.

This image illustrates an example of Kent wave 3 BSF programme in Gravesham.

Conservative district council leader Paul Watkins said Dover Grammar School for Boys and Dover Grammar for School for Girls could be moved when briefing the council last week on future regeneration projects.

Cllr Watkins told the chamber “the relocation of two grammar schools” is being led by the county council under the Building Schools for the Future programme - a government initiative for secondary school children in England to be taught in modern buildings. Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Watkins said the rebuild of both grammar schools could take place “behind the back of Archers Court school. The head teachers and governors are aware of the proposal and KCC will be submitting a bid to the Department of Education”.

Boy’s grammar deputy head Simon Pullen confirmed the school is involved in talks about the move. He said: “We have had lots of discussions with the local education authority about BSF and these are ongoing.

“BSF will bring substantial funds into the area which will help regenerate our schools.”

Dover girl’s grammar head Judith Carlisle was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.

KCC has pledged to revamp all Dover’s secondary schools by 2015 using a mixture of capital funding and private finance.

The Express understands KCC has expressed an interest in establishing a centre of excellence for vocational skills at the Glenmore Centre on the White Cliffs Business Park.

The body has been working on the project with Dover Harbour Board, which is keen to plug the town’s skills shortage, with the expansion of the western docks expected to create up to 1,000 jobs.

The district council is understood to be in support of both of these projects as Whitfield is set for major investment after Dover was granted growth point status in July.

Mr Watkins attended a meeting of the south-east England regional transportation board last Thursday where the cash available for Dover projects was outlined.

He said transport links at Whitfield are to be improved, making for easy access to the three schools if they were sited there.

A KCC spokesman said: “We are working with the Dover grammar schools to develop proposals for their inclusion in Kent’s Building Schools for the Future programme. However, we are still at a very early stage in the process and no decisions whatsoever have been taken with regard to sites or buildings.”

District council leader Paul Watkins said the Woolcomber Road facility could be switched to land behind Archers Court Maths and Computing College.

This scheme is partly dependent on whether Dover’s two grammar schools are relocated there, under the Building Schools for the Future programme.

Dover District Council is keen to follow the example of Crawley’s K2 Leisure Centre, pictured, which has Thomas Bennett Community College close to it. DDC travelled to Crawley in February to learn how the leisure centre and the school work together.

Speaking about the Whitfield location, Mr Watkins said: “This would be the site designated at this stage. A dual use facility with education.”