PARENTS have been left fuming after a school closed its doors until 10am today to allow pupils to watch the England match.

Coney Green High School in Radcliffe cancelled the first class of the day and postponed an internal exam which should have started at 9.15am.

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Several headteachers in Bury and Radcliffe also took the decision to cancel the first lesson of the day, but the majority of schools still opened their doors at 7.30am and provided television sets to allow pupils to share the excitement with their friends and teachers.

However, Coney Green, in Spring Lane, issued letters to parents on Monday announcing they would be closed.

A 36-year-old father claimed he was "dumbfounded" that the school was closing and "disgusted" that children would be allowed to roam around Radcliffe until 10am.

His 14-year-old daughter would have liked to go into school and watch the game with her pals rather than sit at home alone.

Her father, from Bury, who did not wish to be named, said: "Why can't the school open early?

"I think the whole thing is a joke - it's only a football match.

"If I took my daughter out of school for a holiday then I would be in big trouble, but the school has taken this decision without giving us a good reason."

The letter from Coney Green head, Diana Morton, said: "I hope parents will understand that these are unusual circumstances and that the school would like to give students the opportunity to follow the progress of the national side."

Nobody was available from Coney Green to comment, but the secretary of Bury's Secondary Heads Association, confirmed he and his colleagues had discussed the best policy to adopt.

John Gannon, who is the head of Castlebrook High School in Bury, said: "It was decided we should keep things as close to normal as possible.

"It was feared that some children might just come in late claiming they had overslept.

"Each school has made its own arrangements, but having spoken to four or five heads, schools wanted as little disruption as possible and most, like ourselves, are opening at 7.30am, but not starting classes until 10am."