Protest walk planned over school merger plans

Hundreds of parents will stage a protest walk in a Shropshire village on Wednesday in a bid to prove their claims that a school merger plan is unworkable and unsafe.

Some parents at Ifton Heath Primary School in St Martins are strongly opposed to Shropshire Council's proposal to move the school on to the same site as the village's secondary school, Rhyn Park.

The proposal, part of a controversial education shake-up, would create the county's first all-through school.

Protesters say they hope the walk on Wednesday will demonstrate the practical difficulties parents and children would be faced with should the plan go through.

Ifton Heath parent and governor Gary Smith said: "Parents are simply going to prove what we already know. Major road and pavement works and possibly a rear access route would be required to make travel safe.

"This will be all at great expense to the public purse.

"We don't have a pupil numbers problem and 225 primary and nursery children along with pre-school siblings and buggies will be attempting to reach Rhyn Park in a safe fashion.

"As Rhyn Park lies further outside the main housing area, some parents will have a long walk and some will be driving.

"Parents have arranged to attempt to walk and drive from the Institute in St Martins down to Rhyn Park School at 8.30am Wednesday. Rhyn Park is on a busy junction and a sharp bend and faces more traffic from the Gobowen, Ellesmere and bypass directions.

"I must stress the walk/ drive is before school and has been arranged by parents."

Mr Smith added representatives from both schools will visit Saltburn School in Cleveland on Thursday to have a look at a new purpose built all-through school.

County officials agreed to defer creating the school at Rhyn Park at a crunch meeting last month.

Shirehall bosses admitted the scheme still needed more work before any final decision could be taken.

By Iain St John