“THE local authority should work with governors to protect what is a gem hidden in a small community.”

Those were the words of Dave Bolton, a Longbarn Primary School governor, at the public meeting held to discuss the proposed closure of the Fairfield Grove establishment.

Pupils, parents, staff and residents filled the hall at the school on Monday evening to ask questions of Warrington Borough Council’s education chiefs about the decision.

If the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) approves the plans, £44 million of funding will be unlocked and injected back into the refurbishment and rebuild of a number of schools.

Peter Edwards, a governor at St Bridget’s, said the proposals seemed to be driven by funding. He said Gordon Brown did not have the money to fund the multi-million-pound cash boost.

He said: “This money is going nowhere. Let’s now work with the facility we have got.”

Mr Bolton said during a presentation to the panel of five education bosses that every pupil achieved the required national level in literacy and science and 88 per cent in maths.

The figures showed a significant improvement on previous years.

The school was the only one in the area to provide full day care for children aged two to 11, for every week of the year.

The school’s student council addressed Norma Cadwallader, director of children’s services, with a number of concerns.

Children said they were worried about not having a breakfast club at their new school if they had to move, the distance and the prospect of having to go to a faith school when they are not religious.

One parent said youngsters at the school had been using laptops and had benefited from them. She asked what would happen if they had to move to schools that were not as competent with the technology.

Hilary Smith, strategic manager at the council, said other establishments were bringing children up to acceptable levels that would be essential for the future.

Clr Colin Oliver (Lib Dem – Poulton North) said: “Why are we sending schools that are in the 21st century back into the 20th century to help other schools?”

Clr Sheila Woodyatt, executive member for education, said: “My dream is for us to have the Government money and the council tax money to do what we believe is the right because we know Warrington and we, as residents, are the experts.”

She said the council was not responsible for admissions and that it was the individual schools who set the criteria.

Ms Smith said the closure is not something that central Government was saying must be done but a decision that it would find acceptable as part of the council’s action plan.

Surgeries have been set up for people wanting to raise concerns on a one-to-one basis.

They take place at the 35-year-old school tomorrow, Friday, from 2.30pm until 4.30pm and 5.30pm until 7.30pm.