PARENTS and children said an emotional farewell to teachers for the last time as two primary schools closed.

Many staff and parents were tearful during the final assemblies to be held at Longsight Primary School and The Moss Primary, which have been forced to close because of falling pupil numbers.

Former members of staff and pupils returned to The Moss, in Breightmet, for an emotional get together to celebrate 31 years of the school's history.

Headteacher John Bowden, who is taking early retirement aged 54, said: "It was a lovely assembly, but I feel sad. The kids have been smashing over the past few days."

The first ever headteacher to lead the school, Don Beswick, said: "Today is very sad. The spirit of the school is too strong for it to die though."

Mother-of-three Sonia Isherwood said: "It's a shame that the school is closing because there's always a nice atmosphere and the relationship between the teachers and pupils is like that of a family."

Tearful mother-of-two Gina Coffey said: "I just feel so down and can't believe the school is closing."

Tears were also the order of the day at the final assembly to be held at Longsight Primary School in Harwood, which was selected for closure by the Local Education Authority after being placed in "special measures" following a poor Ofsted report and a drop in pupil numbers.

Headteacher George Hadfield, who still does not know where he will be working in September, admitted he was feeling "very tired" after an emotionally draining summer term.

But he claimed he was proud of the way his few remaining staff and pupils had behaved since the closure was announced at the end of last year.

Mr Hadfield said: "The atmosphere has been absolutely fantastic. It's a credit to the staff that they've remained so cheerful, but there's been an underlying sadness.

"I've had lots of mothers and children coming up and hugging me."

Pupils read poems and stories about their happy memories at Longsight during the final assembly, which opened with pop song "Rise" by Gabrielle.

Current pupils will not have to move sites in September as Harwood Meadows Primary School is taking over the building and will run a split-site school system before the situation is reviewed in a few years when all the original Longsight youngsters have left.