Tensions have flared at a bid to increase the size of an infant school despite the move forcing another headteacher to slash staff.

Bosses at the school have said the council's plan would "hurt" pupils in the area as they hit out at the plans.

A public consultation is underway that could see plans approved to transform Manor Church of England School in Holbury into a primary school.

The proposal would see the infant school expand from 90 pupils to 105, equating to 15 children per year group.

Nearby Cadland Primary School has said it was “very surprised to hear about the idea,” warning that the school would halve in size, and therefore lose half of the school’s “exceptional teachers and support staff”.

In a letter issued to parents and carers on Monday, June 9, Phil Ingram, chair of governors at the school, said: “While we support efforts to improve education, this proposal does not present any benefit for the majority of children in our area, as council officers will claim.

“In fact, it risks doing the opposite, the majority of the children in the area come to Cadland, and it will hurt them.

“Manor School increasing in size will certainly have a negative impact on Cadland School.

“Most distressingly of all, this will obviously mean huge turmoil for the children, half of the teachers and support staff they know, and love will be made surplus to requirements and therefore have no choice but to move on.”

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Staff and students celebrating a 'Good' Ofsted grade in October 2023Staff and students at Manor Infant School celebrating a 'Good' Ofsted grade in October 2023 (Image: MAKE Photography) Hampshire County Council launched the consultation on Friday, June 6, where it will run until Friday, July 4.

The consultation notes that while “historically there has been surplus at both schools, there has always been a risk that Cadland would end up with large classes of 36 in years 3 to 6.”

If the plans to turn Manor Church of England School into a primary school were given the green light, Hampshire County Council stated the changes would be implemented “no earlier than September 1, 2026.”

A council spokesperson added: “This is an ongoing consultation and part of a lengthy and phased process, and therefore no final decisions have yet been made.

“The county council has a well-established school places forecasting tool to plan efficiently for the future and manage both surpluses and shortages of school places across the county, ensuring a stable educational offer across the county.

“We continue to have ongoing discussions with Cadland Primary School regarding this consultation process, including how they can be supported to respond to forecast demand in the local area, and will keep them updated throughout.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Manor Church of England School said: “This is an ongoing consultation process, and no final decision has been made.

“We have shared the consultation and information about how to respond with our school community.

“We would encourage all those with an interest in this consultation to read the information available from Hampshire County Council and to have their say.”

A drop-in session will be held at Manor Infant School on June 19, between 3pm and 6.30pm, while the council will examine responses before deciding whether to proceed to the next stage, where the executive lead member for children's services will make a decision to issue a public notice.

  • An earlier version of this story incorrectly said Manor Infant had 50 pupils. This was based on information provided by Cadland's governing body.