Henrietta Barnett School and the further education institute that owns its buildings have failed to agree a scheme that would allow them both to remain on the same site.

Education Secretary David Blunkett now has until the end of the month to confirm a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) which would allow Barnet Council to buy the site for the school.

The school and Hampstead Garden Suburb Institute had until Fridayto submit a proposal to Mr Blunkett for the future of their Central Square site.

Although a new scheme looked promising last week, the warring sides were unable to agree a price for the Institute to sell the whole site, then buy back a long lease to allow it to share the buildings with the school.

A notice to quit issued on the school by the Institute comes into force at the end of the month. Barnet Council chief executive Max Caller said it was "pretty sad" that no agreement had been reached and urged Mr Blunkett to make a decision on the CPO. He said: "The council could not allow a situation where Henrietta Barnett girls could be sitting out on the pavement outside locked doors. That is why we issued the CPO. Now there is no more time. Everyone accepts that."

But Institute council members who met on Monday agreed to appeal if the CPO was confirmed. Principal Fay Naylor said: "We still hope a settlement could be reached. I'm sure the DfE wouldn't refuse to accept an agreement just because we missed the deadline."

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