A plan to join two primary schools has been welcomed by parents and staff.

An Essex County Council review of education at Great Oakley and Ramsey primary schools, and Little Oakley Infants' School has come up with a proposal to amalgamate Little Oakley and Ramsey.

And it is looking to either extend Ramsey's Wix Road site or create a new 210-pupil school at Pond Hall Farm, Ramsey, or Lodge Road, Little Oakley.

Maureen Reddrop, head at Little Oakley, said the feedback she had received from parents was more positive than had been when it was feared the school would close altogether.

She said: "The two new sites put forward came out of the public meetings and the parents are pleased that there has been some real consultation.

"Parents are much more optimistic and although obviously sad that the infant's school will no longer be here, they are pleased the council is considering using the building for pre-school provision."

Parent Lee Dingwall, who had campaigned with other parents to keep Little Oakley Infants School open, also welcomed the proposal - as long as a new school is built.

Mr Dingwall, who has daughters at both schools, said: "The current Ramsey Primary School site is too small for 210 pupils and I would prefer to see a new school built as it would be on the right side of the A120."

He said he and other parents were also pleased that the county council is considering using the Little Oakley school site for pre-school provision.

Dilys Patten, head at Ramsey Primary School, said parents and staff were pleased that long-waited improvements at the school - whether it be at the current site or a new school - were finally going to happen.

She said: "We don't want to end up having too few children at the school making it not viable, which was the problem at Little Oakley, and we do want to keep the village feel about the school."

Public meetings are to be held next month in the two villages to canvass opinion.

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