AN INFANT school community may oppose proposals to amalgamate with a nearby junior school.

Cabinet members at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council are due to discuss plans to amalgamate Park Lane Infant School with Northgate Junior School, in Guisborough, and Harry Dack Infants School with Loftus Junior School, in Loftus.

The proposals have arisen because of falling pupil numbers.

Local authorities are required by the Government to take action to remove places in a school when the number of surplus places exceeds 25 per cent.

Headteachers of Harry Dack School, Loftus Junior School and Northgate Junior School have said their schools would support the proposed amalgamations.

But, according to a report to the cabinet from the director of education, the headteacher of Park Lane Infant School, whilst recognising that action needs to be taken to remove surplus places, says the school would prefer to retain its separate identity.

Harry Dack Infant School has a capacity of 180 places, with 139 pupils on the roll. That number is expected to drop to 111 by 2008.

Loftus Junior has a capacity of 235 places, with 199 on the roll and that number is expected to drop to 175 by 2008.

Neither site could accommodate a primary school for three to 11 year olds, but a feasibility study has indicated that the infant school site, together with playing fields used by the junior school, could create enough land for a primary school.

Park Lane Infant School has capacity of 189, with 113 on the roll, with 101 expected to attend in 2008.

Northgate Junior School has a capacity of 224, with 170 on the roll and 140 pupils expected to attend in 2008.

A feasibility study suggests that Northgate Junior School could be adapted to accommodate pupils from Park Lane Infants. At a meeting on Tuesday, councillors are recommended to agree to allow informal consultation with parents, school governors, staff, trade unions and associations regarding the potential amalgamations.

If the consultation goes ahead, it would take place during the autumn term.

The proposed amalgamation date would be September 2006.