A HEADteacher whose school is facing closure has criticised education bosses for an error in a key council report.

Darlington Borough Council's cabinet will decide today whether to approve shutting Rise Carr Primary School, in Eldon Street, this summer.

A report sent to councillors listed Rise Carr's lack of a playing field as one of the reasons for closure - despite the fact that the school has a field clearly visible from the road.

Headteacher Tony Kemp said: "One of the things that we want to stress to the town hall is the error in what they are saying about Rise Carr.

"They are making their decision based on facts and figures and they have got one of their facts wrong."

Mr Kemp told The Northern Echo that the closure of Rise Carr could affect pupils' progress and would rip the heart out of the community.

The school, which opened more than a hundred years ago has 175 pupils, 35 per cent have special needs.

"We are very concerned first and foremost with the integration of so many children in one group into Harrowgate Hill and North Road primary schools," he said.

"It is a mammoth task and it is not a normal transition.

"I believe the children will feel like outsiders and I am concerned at the disruption to children's education, especially those with special needs."

"The whole community will be affected. The school will vanish from sight after 100 years."

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council admitted that the report was wrong and that Rise Carr does have a playing field.

"It was a technical error and the cabinet will have an amended report," he said.

The final decision on the school's closure will be made later this year by the independent School Organisation Committee, which will also decide whether to merge Albert Hill Nursery School with Gurney Pease Primary School.

The cabinet will make a final decision on whether to reduce the size of Corporation Road Primary School at its meeting today at the town hall at 5pm.

* Parents and members of the community are invited to a meeting this morning at 9.10am at Rise Carr Primary School to discuss the proposed closure.