Darlington teachers are confronting their education authority over proposals to create one of the biggest primary schools in the country.

The staff of Whinfield Junior School have attacked a proposed merger with the infant school next door, which would produce a 630-place primary. They say the addition of a nursery could bring the total to 700.

In a letter, which has been sent to the Education Secretary, Charles Clarke, Darlington MP Alan Milburn and Geoff Pennington, Darlington's director of education, they dispute many of the facts the local education authority used during the initial consultation process.

It highlights a statement during a Darlington LEA conference that primary schools of 420 pupils would be ideal.

"The fact that the LEA is prepared to go ahead with the amalgamation before it is in full possession of all necessary facts, physical and financial, is deeply disturbing," said the letter.

"Whinfield Junior School is an extremely successful school with excellent Ofsted feedback, happy and hardworking staff and a successful and dedicated management team. We have not been given any tangible reason to change this.

"A worrying implication of creating a school of this size would be that the school would, without doubt, lose the familiar, friendly, personal relationship with every child, particularly those with special education needs."

They float a conspiracy theory, by suggesting that the LEA engineered the secondment of their former headmaster, David Ackroyd to North Road School, where he took over permanently last September, leaving a deputy behind.

That led to concern that the automatic head of the new primary would be the present head teacher of the infant school, Sheila Williams, wife of council leader John Williams, once a temporary governing body was put in place by the LEA.

Lynne Thompson, chairman of governors, said they were fully opposed to the merger, adding: "This is a very frustrating situation at the moment."

But in a statement the council said: "The overriding priority for proposing the amalgamation of any school is what will be best for the pupils now and in the future.

"Bringing together any two schools, even two that are already on the same site, where amalgamation would see pupils continuing their education in the classrooms where they study now, will cause anxiety for teaching staff.

"Throughout, the council has followed the appropriate procedures and teachers of both schools have been given every opportunity to air their views.

"Those views have been taken into account when considering what will most benefit all Whinfield pupils. We believe that to be an all-through primary school that will enhance the quality of education and improve the learning opportunities for pupils."

If there is a strong objection during the consultation process, the matter will go to the local schools organisation committee.