Parents today vowed to fight for a new junior school in Wickford for the sake of their children's education.

Mums said they were determined to persuade the education authority to turn Wickford C of E Infants into a junior school as well and presented a 370-signature petition to county councillor Iris Pummell.

At the moment pupils have to move on to a number of other local junior schools - many of which are already reaching bursting point - when they become too old for the infants.

Tina Clark, whose son Joshua, six, attends the Mount Road school, said: "They've got to listen to us and we're going to do our utmost to get something done - this is just the beginning.

"It's not fair to disrupt our children's education by moving them to another school and there is also no other Church of England junior school in the area."

Plans to expand Wickford C of E by building a second storey and extending into the pre-school area were first considered by the county council in 1990.

The scheme never went ahead due to lack of funding and parents now feel the time is right to push for the extension once more.

Sue Manning is head of the school's PTA and mum to Danielle, seven. She said: "We hope a decision will be made quickly. The children shouldn't have to move on to another school when they do so well here.

"Perhaps our own children won't benefit by the time we succeed but if we don't do something now it will never happen.

"We can't just think of our children. This is about more choice for the children of Wickford."

The school's headteacher, Sue Patmore, is leaving the parents to fight the battle, but fully supporting them.

Mrs Pummell will present the petition to fellow county councillors at the next meeting of the education committee on June 14.

She said: "The school is one of only a few in Essex not to have a junior school. We are hopeful that it will go ahead. This school is almost full as are others in the area.

"The new junior school being built on the Wick estate will also be full when it opens so we will have a problem in the future, especially with all the new houses being built."

Petition - youngsters and parents call for a junior school to be built alongside Wickford CofE Infants

Picture: STEPHEN LLOYD

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