A YEAR-LONG fight to save a village school from closing reaches the High Court in London tomorrow (Wed Dec 10).

A judge will rule on the proposed closure of Affetside Primary School after campaigners won the right for a judicial review.

Also, campaigners fighting to keep open St Paul's School in Ramsbottom have lodged their own application for a judicial review.

In court, Save Affetside School Action Group (SASAG) will argue that the Bury schools organisation committee's (SOC) decision-making process was flawed.

Bury's local education authority (LEA) put forward plans to close the village school as part of a package to address falling pupil rolls and surplus classroom places in the borough. In July members of Bury SOC rejected a plea by Affetside parents and approved the proposals.

Lawyers acting on behalf of the action group will claim that fresh evidence to support the case against closure was either deliberately withheld, or excluded, from the SOC meeting while education officials were allowed to submit new information.

Additionally, in view of DfES guidelines to local authorities on the importance of retaining rural schools wherever possible, they challenge the refusal of Bury LEA to recognise the rural status of the remote village school.

Dawn Robinson-Walsh from SASAG said: "Our staff have worked extremely hard to provide a normal school environment for our children, despite the closure threat hanging over the school, and have achieved remarkable success, as indicated by the school's SATs results.

"We are hopeful of a good result on Wednesday, but the offer to the LEA to meet us and to reconsider the closure decision remains open. We are prepared to talk to them at any time."

Campaigners fighting a similar battle to keep open St Paul's CE School lodged their own application for a judicial review.

Leading member of the school's focus group, Mr Andrew Todd, commented: "We have had lengthy consultation with the same legal team which is representing Affetside, and it is more than apparent that there have been serious procedural flaws."