TWO new academies planned for Birkenhead would see a massive investment in education in the borough to push up standards, it was claimed last night.

The new schools will be in addition to Birkenhead High School for Girls, which will become an academy from September this year.

The proposal – due to go before Wirral Council’s cabinet next week – could see one mixed sex academy on the former Park High School site and another single-sex boys’ academy on Borough Road playing fields, near Tranmere Rovers’ ground, which could be opened by 2013.

Cabinet member for education, Cllr Phil Davies, said the new “superschools” would offer educational facilities to rival the best in the country.

The move follows earlier plans for one academy to serve Rock Ferry High and Park High pupils.

Since then, Birkenhead High School for Girls has been given the go-ahead on its academy plans.

This had meant an imbalance in school places available for boys and girls in Birkenhead, and has led to the new proposal for a boys’ academy.

The new academies would serve pupils currently at Rock Ferry High, Park High and Ridgeway High School, although it is expected education would continue at the sites for a transition of around three years while the new all-boys school was built.