WIRRAL’S oldest surviving grammar school is set to cut free from town hall control and become an Academy, the Daily Post can reveal.

And, subject to government approval, the decision of prestigious Calday Grange school, in West Kirby, to convert to a centrally-funded Academy would leave Upton Hall School for Girls as the only remaining grammar school within the local authority.

The move by Calday Grange marks a new direction for the school keen to move on from the year-long suspension and eventual pay-off in May of former headmaster Andrew Hall.

His absence coincided with the school being stripped of its “outstanding” status by Ofsted who told governors, led by the now departed Margaret Twemlow, to restore “confidence” among parents and staff.

Parents had concerns over its trust status which saw it come out of the local network of schools and enlist partners including Liverpool University, Unilever and Maestro Services to share expertise and formally contribute to the running of the school.

But the school has now received notification its trust status has successfully been dissolved and now intends to become an Academy.

This could become a reality as early as December, if the Government gives it the green light.

A spokesman for the school, which dates back to 1636 and aims to have a new headmaster in post by April, said the decision of governors to apply for Academy status followed “full consultation with teaching staff, support staff, and parents”.