PARENTS consoled their children as the school they had fought to save closed its gates for the last time.

Highworth’s Northview Primary School marked the last day of term yesterday with a special leavers’ assembly.

A decision was made to close the school, at The Dormers, Highworth, in February by cabinet members at Swindon Council, but even at the end parents had hoped for a last minute reprieve.

Many said they felt let down by Swindon council.

Marian Kite, 40, of The Knowlands, was outside the school to collect her children Lexie, six, and Georgina, 11.

She said: “I just can’t believe they are doing it.

“The children are so upset about it, I dreaded today.

“I’m angry, I’m sad.

“They have taken the most modern, well equipped school in Highworth with the best parking and decided to close that one.”

The school will now close officially on August 31 after a decision by cabinet members in February based primarily on forecast and current surplus pupil numbers.

Parents were told by the council that Highworth’s Westrop Primary School would expand by 105 places to take the Northview children.

Work is already underway on a pedestrian crossing on the A361 Lechlade Road designed to make the route to school safer.

Northview headteacher Louise Seavill said: “Today’s a day of mixed emotions.

“It’s very sad that the school is closing, but it’s also a celebration of the children’s and staff’s hard work and achievements.

“It’s about looking forward with excitement about starting new schools.” Parents argued yesterday, as they did at the meetings, that it was due to the rumours of closure that so few children had signed up to attend Northview.

Of the estimated 68 children left at the school, some will move on to Highworth Warneford for secondary school, but 36 children will take up their automatic place at Westrop Primary.

Some parents who do not want to send their children to Westrop are being forced to take their children as far away as Watchfield, Shrivenham and Blunsdon.

While Ms Kite’s daughter Georgina is headed for Warneford School, Lexie will start at Eastrop Infant School in September because her mother says the route is too dangerous to Westrop.

She said: “It’s just absolutely awful, I’m so upset about it.

“Both my children have gone to this school, it’s literally 500 yards from my house and they love this school.

“They’ll be separated from all their friends and we’ll have to walk further or drive.

“I went to some of the council meetings and we didn’t get any say.

“We got a committee together, we gave all the reasons why they shouldn’t close it and they didn’t listen.”

Lisa Round, 37, from Westrop, was collecting 10-year-old son Charlie.

She said: “It’s just a shame, there’s no thought for the children’s feelings at all.

“I’m very angry about the fact that nobody seemed willing to listen.”

Mandy Kelham, whose daughter Tiffany, seven, attends Northview said: “I don’t understand it at all.

“I think the council’s had the blinkers on, they have made this decision too quickly. They haven’t thought about it, they’re rushing through the new crossing.

“We had pre-consultation and statutory consultation and we had 300 replies on one and 400 on the other.

“What it comes down to in the end is money at the cost of our children’s lives and giving them the start they need in life.”

Chris Laker, 44, of Cherry Orchard, whose son Danny, 11, was at Northview, said: “Both my children have been all the way through the school.

“It’s very sad, an end of an era – it seems a shame they’re moving from permanent accommodation to temporary.”

Juliette Bolger, 34, of Redhouse, who was taking home Seth, 10, and Thea, seven, said: “Everyone gets on, it’s a nice little community and they really like it here.

“It is sad but we all knew it was coming because the classes were getting smaller and smaller.”