Campaigners today spoke of their anger and frustration after it was revealed five primary schools in the county are still being recommended for closure.

Barrow, Hopton Wafers and Maesbury schools are being recommended to close under plans announced today which will be decided by Shropshire Council’s cabinet next Wednesday.

The authority is also recommending its cabinet supports proposals to close Shawbury Primary School to create a single school for the village with St Mary’s Primary School and to push ahead with the closure of Ifton Heath primary.

The move would be part of a plan to create an althrough school on the Rhyn Park Secondary School site in St Martins.

Today Simon Pennington, school governor and leader of the campaign to save Barrow Primary, said: “All the parents are disappointed but not surprised. We don’t believe the consultation period was a consultation at all, we believe the council had already decided which schools they really wished to close and there was nothing we could do about it.

“Our last chance of saving Barrow is to turn it into a free school. We are due to hear from the Department for Education this week on their decision. If that falls through then Barrow will close for good.”

Nicola Bradley, the head of Ifton Heath Primary School, said: “We are very frustrated.

“This has caused an enormous amount of anxiety. There is no reason whatsoever for us to move.”

Governors at Maesbury School near Oswestry are applying for the primary school to be given academy status. Vice chairman Tony Milner said: “Academy status will release us from the clutches of the council.

“We had asked from more time before a decision so that we could pursue academy status but this was refused. However it will not hamper our application.”

There was some good news for other schools in today’s announcement.

Lydbury North and Onny Primary Schools’ push for federation is being recommended. Venerable Colin Williams, chairman of governors at Onny, said “The most important thing is that the report contains the guarantee that the threat of closure will be lifted.”

Stiperstones Primary is also likely to be saved with plans to federate with Chirbury Primary School.

By Sue Austin and Peter Finch