PARENTS, teachers and governors have reacted with anger to news that two Worcester schools are likely to merge.

Education bosses at Worcestershire County Council want Warndon Infants and Juniors to amalgamate because they says it would be better for children's education.

But opponents of the move say pupils will suffer because a combined school would be too large to cater for their needs and vowed to fight on.

Yesterday they handed a petition signed by more than 300 people to Liz Eyre, the county councillor in charge of education.

The council's cabinet will vote on whether to consult on a merger on Monday.

Discussions about a potential amalgamation were triggered when Margaret Probett, the headteacher of the infants' school, announced in the spring that she would be retiring at Christmas.

She said: "It's the children that are going to suffer and it's quite upsetting. We have many children who are on the special needs register and you can't nurture children on such large a scale as the two schools together."

The chairman of governors at the infants' school, David Hands, said the announcement was a 'bombshell'.

Proposals to merge schools at Northwick, Worcester, had not even arrived at the consultation stage and Mr Hands said he had hoped that this signalled the council had a new policy. "Now we worry that this will just become

one giant school," he added.

Mark Brookes, who has three children at the Warndon schools, said: "It's an insult. The council is saying one of the best schools in Worcester is not good enough."

Coun Eyre, who met Miss Probett and Mr Hands at the school yesterday, said: "I'm here to hear why Margaret is of the opinion that there should be no consultation on this subject.

"I come from the point of view that there should be a consultation, but I need to hear the views of everybody."

opinion: page 6