PARENTS and governors at a Westhoughton primary have hit out after being pitched into a race against time to save their school.

Fourgates CP has officially rejected a proposal which could see the school merge with St John's (Wingates)at either a new school in Wingates or on their own site.

And they have called for the working party which put forward the idea as a possible solution to surplus places, to meet again to discuss the proposal in detail.

Governors are furious about Fourgates being pitched into the closure battle in the final round after the working party set up to look into surplus places ditched proposals to merge St John's with the Parochial school at their very last meeting.

They say a new school on the Wingates site would be unfair because Fourgates pupils will have to move despite being in the majority.

After a meeting at the school with education chiefs, vice chair of the governors, Gordon Firth, said: "The option to amalgamate with Wingates St John School was rejected.

"Many parents were disturbed that in the initial options for primary schools in Westhoughton, Fourgates CP had not been scheduled for any change and that now, at this late stage they were included in the second set of proposals."

The Education and Arts Committee will make a decision on the proposals next week. Crisis talks in class size row EDUCATION chiefs are meeting with concerned governors who fear their school could be faced with massive class sizes.

As reported in the BEN, governors at High Lawn CP, Astley Bridge, are fighting moves to increase the size of their school to take in children from the closure threatened Oldhams CP.

Yesterday the school hit out at education chiefs for not talking to them in advance about proposals to increase their intake to 40 children a year.

But today a school spokesman said: "They have been in touch since the working party produced the recommendations and will be meeting with the governing body to discuss the implications should the proposal to close the Oldhams be adopted. They will be giving guidance on how extra children would be assimilated in future and explaining any alterations to the building which might be needed." EDUCATION chiefs are meeting with concerned governors who fear their school could be faced with massive class sizes.

As reported in the BEN, governors at High Lawn CP, Astley Bridge, are fighting moves to increase the size of their school to take in children from the closure threatened Oldhams CP.

Yesterday the school hit out at education chiefs for not talking to them in advance about proposals to increase their intake to 40 children a year.

But a spokesman said: "They have been in touch since the working party produced the recommendations and will be meeting with the governing body to discuss the implications should the proposal to close the Oldhams be adopted. They will be giving guidance on how extra children would be assimilated and explaining any alterations to the building which might be needed."

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