Parents' anger at plans for primary

Parents of more than a quarter of the children at a Shropshire primary school say they will not send their youngsters to a combined facility planned for the village, it was claimed today.

Shropshire Council is recommending an all-through school be created in St Martins near Oswestry by closing Ifton Heath Primary School and offering pupils a place at an extended Rhyn Park School in the village.

But campaigners at the primary school say a survey has shown parents will vote with their feet, and take the children to schools out of the village.

Parent governor Gary Smith said the survey, to which parents were asked to put their names, carried out in the last two days, showed that 59 primary children would not be sent to the all-through school, 26 per cent of the whole school.

"This figure will grow as more surveys come in," he said.

"An earlier, anonymous survey showed 60 per cent of parents unwilling to send their children to the new school."

A dozen children have left Ifton Heath since February, some, the school says, because of the worry over the future. Governors and staff have united in their opposition to the proposal.

Campaigners plan to take their concerns, which also include losing their voice as a governing body, to a cabinet meeting of Shropshire Council on Wednesday.