PLANS to revamp the education system in Purbeck have been passed by Dorset County Council’s full council.

Councillors passed a proposal put forward from the authority’s cabinet meeting to proceed with plans to change the Purbeck system from three-tier to two-tier.

The move, which will cost the council £36.5million, involves the expansion of the 13 first schools in the district to form primary schools, the closure of the four middle schools and the expansion of Purbeck Upper School into a secondary school.

The cabinet recommendation was voted through despite opposition from several councillors, including leader of the Liberal Democrat group Janet Dover who asked where the funding for the scheme was going to come from in the light of public sector spending cuts.

Cabinet member for children’s services Toni Coombs said there was sufficient money in place to accommodate the scheme, even if there is a further decrease in funding levels. She said: “Dorset has always invested in its schools regardless of what funding streams come down from central Government. If money gets clawed back we will have to look to our own funding to claw that back.”