PARENTS have vowed to fight on to save their children’s school following a heated meeting to discuss its uncertain future.

More than 150 people crowded into Highworth’s Northview Primary School, The Dormers, for a public meeting last Saturday.

Attendees included parents and teachers from schools in the area, residents, town councillors, Coun Garry Perkins, cabinet member for children’s services for Swindon Council, and North Swindon MP Michael Wills.

Swindon Council cabinet members are set to consider the school’s future after dwindling pupil numbers.

Following the meeting, Northview parent Clair Power said: “It’s going to be a long fight – we’ll fight them to the end.”

Discussion centred around the demand and funding for a third primary school in the town. Although parents argued there was always a cycle of demand, Coun Perkins said that predictions from births in 2008 meant if the school situation remained unchanged there would be almost a third of unfilled places in the town’s schools by 2013.

Coun Perkins added that there had only been two applications to the school for this year.

“I applaud you for defending your school, that’s what I expect you to do,” he said.

“We need to look at how the money is spent best in Highworth to educate the children in Highworth.”

Gary Brown, chairman of governors at Eastrop Infant School, said that because demand in Highworth had fallen it was not economically viable to run classes with fewer than 25 pupils.

“You are funded by so many children per class. It’s as simple as that – the money’s not there.”

At the meeting children and ex-pupils made impassioned pleas for the school to remain open.

Parents attacked Highworth councillors, the Local Education Authority (LEA) and Coun Perkins for not doing more to prevent this situation and for letting the drop off in applications and increase in transfers out of the school continue.

Parent Christopher Mead, chairing the meeting, described in a presentation how the once beacon status school in 2001 had gone into special measures in 2005 and had been dogged by closure rumours since 2007.

“Where were the LEA at the beginning?” said one parent.

“It was under very bad management, lots of people raised concerns and the LEA did nothing, that’s what upsetting for the parents.”

Other problems raised by Mr Mead included parents having to drive their children to school causing transport and environmental problems.

Six-year-old Tiffany Kelham of Highworth, who wore a T-shirt emblazoned: ‘I want to stay at Northview School,’ said: “When my dad said Northview would close I started to cry.”

NORTH Swindon MP Michael Wills, pictued, joined parents in expressing concern that the continued threat to the school would lead to further dwindling of numbers, weakening the remaining parents’ case for it to stay open.

“It would be a mistake to make a decision on the future of Northview simply on surplus places alone,” he said to Coun Perkins. Speaking of the parents’ views, he said: “You have actually been responsible for creating the conditions, it could be argued, that have led to the proposed closure of this school.”

Highworth councillors present said they agreed with the presentation and pledged their support agreeing to follow this up with a town council resolution. The issue will be discussed at a special cabinet meeting on May 20 and a decision is likely to be made by December.