WORRIED parents, grandparents, and teachers at Rawtenstall's closure-threatened Cloughfold Primary School last night vowed to save the school.

Hundreds gathered in the school hall at a meeting organised by Lancashire Education Authority to put their concerns to council officers, and offer alternative solutions.

Under controversial re-organisation plans, the 150-year-old Peel Street school would close in September 2006 and all 71 pupils would be distributed to nearby schools.

Steve Nuttall, Cloughfold chairman of governors, said: "We accept they have to reduce the number of places, nobody disputes that. What we are asking is

for the council to think of an alternative.

"It feels like it hasn't been properly thought through.

"If the school closes it will scatter friends, and separate children from the same family."

Council chiefs say re-organisation is necessary due to falling numbers of children and an increase in unfilled places at a number of

Rossendale primary schools.

The plan is to spend £2.15million transforming primary education by improving, or extending, buildings.

Year 3 and 4 teacher and parent Alyson Parkinson said pupils are worried about the proposed closure.

She said: "The children are incredibly worried and upset about being separated from their friends. We are very determined not to let it happen."

And parents Sarah Shepherd, 27, and Jason Jones, 33, of Dearden Nook, said they were concerned the education of their four-year-old son Joseph would suffer if the school closed.

Mr Jones said: "At the moment the teacher/child ratio is 1:15. In a new school it would be more like one teacher to 30 kids."

But Lancashire County Council said closure is just one option, and that no decision would be made until a full consultation has been carried out.

Ian Glaister, county council education planning and re-organisation manager, said: "This school was suggested for closure because over the last 10 years pupils numbers have fallen more than anywhere else.

An amalgamation was not suggested on the basis of the evidence that a large proportion of the children travel to come here and we are not convinced that

all the children at this school would want to transfer to one other school.

"Closure is not a decision we would make lightly."

Under the proposal St Mary's RC Primary School, Lime Street, Haslingden, is also up for closure.

It also suggests a merger of St Joseph's Primary, Stacksteads, with St Mary's, Bacup, or alternatively to merge St Joseph's with St Peter's

Primary, Newchurch.