75750-13PARENTS whose children attend a pre-school which is threatened with closure are devastated by the news. Westlea Pre-School could close by 2007, if a proposal to shut Westlea Primary School goes ahead.

The pre-school is run independently as a charitable organisation. But because it is based in the same building it faces the same threat.

Sharon King is a parent liaison officer for the pre- school and has four children Samuel, eight, Hannah, five, Rachel, three and Adam, 15 months.

She said: "Everybody here is so upset about what is happening. It has a great relationship with the primary school and the staff care about the children.

"They had a wonderful Ofsted report last year and just before Christmas were given an accreditation by the Pre-School Alliance. So much work has gone into building up the pre-school and then the council comes along and tells us we might have to shut."

Swindon Council wants to address the issue of surplus places in West Swin-don's Primary schools.

It has identified four courses of action. Option one is to do nothing at all; option two is to reduce the number of places at the school; option three is to close the school; option four is to rebuild Toothill School and close either Oliver Tompkins or Westlea, sending pupils to Toothill instead.

Mrs King said: "It seems ridiculous that parents in Westlea have a perfectly good pre-school nearby yet the council is talking about shutting it down. The council keeps talking about how we should walk our children to school yet they are making it more difficult to do this.

"If the school site is closed, the land might be sold for housing and that will bring even more children into the area, yet there will be no pre- school facilities for them."

She and other members of the pre-school committee have launched a petition to save it.

A copy of the report proposing the re-organisation of West Swindon Schools was presented at an Education Partnership Board meeting on January 20. A cabinet will decide on March 2 whether the proposals are viable enough to go out to consultation.

But councillor Gary Perkins, lead member for education at Swindon Council, said that children would not lose out. He said: "Whichever decision is made there will be enhanced provision for pre-school children.

"We are not cutting back, we want to increase provision for children in West Swindon."

Diana Milne