Melanie Miles and her daughters Georgia, Natasha and Nicole Picture Ref: 76997-17DEVASTATED parents heard the news they were dreading last night that Swindon Council will almost certainly close Saltway Primary School.

At a meeting of the Education Partnership Board councillors voted in favour of the closure.

All that remains now is for the proposal to be approved at a cabinet meeting next Wednesday and the school will close in January 2006.

Speaking at the meeting teaching assistant Lynda Stevens described how fellow staff and parents were feeling: "We have had parents sobbing and children upset.

"In fact we have had to have extra circle time at the school to sort that out.

"I just don't understand as a normal person the logic of closing the school because its such an excellent building."

Garry Perkins, lead member for education said the decision had not been an easy one.

"There will be plenty of time for discuss things with parents and teaching staff.

"We are making arrangements to visit the school."

The decision to close the close was based on a surplus of places West Swindon schools.

But the council has said that there are enough places in neighbouring schools to accommodate the children from Saltway once it closes.

Melanie Miles, 39, who works in Asda and lives in Middleleaze has three children at Saltway Nicole, nine, Natasha, eight and Georgia, five.

She said: "I am just shocked and upset by this.

"I don't drive and we only live two minutes away from the school but I don't know what I will do now.

"Apparently there are not enough places at Brookfield, Tregoze or Shaw Ridge which are our nearest schools.

"I'm really not prepared to traipse around so if they don't get places in those three schools I'll be keeping them at home.

"I know a lot of mothers who are in the same predicament.

"It's just absolutely outrageous. We moved here eight years ago from London and one of the reasons was because it was so close to the school.

"I expect they will sell the land now and build houses but what school will the children from those houses go to?"

Once the cabinet has given the go-ahead for the school to close next Wednesday a pre-statutory consultation will take place, which will be brought to an EPB meeting in June .

The council has also decided to continue the consultation into the futures of Freshbrook, Windmill Hill and Toothill Schools and discuss their futures in September 2005.

Diana Milne