Parents step up campaign to save school

PARENT power is being drafted into the battle to save St Sampson's Infants' School.

Its PTA has regrouped and this week, with just two months to go until the States decides the closure-threatened school's fate, it is stepping up the fight to keep it open.

Campaigners are hoping they can persuade deputies to vote against the Education Department's recommendation when they meet to have the final say in January. Parents warn the closure could disrupt their children's education, as well as hit the whole area.

'Our main aim is to try and persuade deputies to support keeping the school open and we're going to do this by keeping its profile high and by raising the issues and impact its closure would have on our community, other communities and our children,' explained PTA deputy chairman Belinda Davis.

The school is still reeling from the announcement in September that it had been earmarked for closure.

It followed a major review by Education, started back in January, which found St Andrew's Primary to be a more viable long-term prospect on several grounds including the number of pupils and cost savings of £250,000.

St Sampson's, which has three classes - Reception, Year One and Year Two - had no PTA when the review began but formed a committee to campaign for its survival. In September, some of the founding members resigned but a new group of parents has picked up the gauntlet.