PARENTS fighting to keep their school open gathered in Macclesfield’s Grosvenor Centre to urge residents to sign their petition.

Radical options to overhaul education in the borough, unveiled for public consultation by Cheshire County Council, mean St Barnabas could close under the Transforming Learning Communities review.

The group, including Jenni Slattery, Emma Arkelaos, Annie Smedley, Sid Harrison, Debbie and Eddie Meehan, Phil and Caitlin Jennings, Ruth Barlow, Nicola Bryon, Chris Horsley, and Rachel McDermott, who helped set the stall up, collected almost 800 signatures with more to be counted.

Jenni Slattery said: “It was absolutely brilliant. We had a really positive response, especially when people realised it was the old central school.

“St Barnabas has got a lot of history as it has been a school since 1911.

“People of all ages signed the petition, from young families to middle-aged people and pensioners. It was across the board.”

She added: “A lot of people have asked what will happen to Macclesfield High School if this school closes and the children are forced to go to other ones outside the catchment area.”

A CCC spokeswoman said: “In the event that St Barnabas closes, we anticipate a lot of the children will go to Ash Grove which is a feeder school for Macclesfield High.

“In the event that St Edward’s closes, that is a feeder school for All Hallows.

“A lot of the children may go to St Alban’s which is also a feeder school for All Hallows.

“In Bollington, both schools are feeders for Tytherington High.”

She added: “However, we would reiterate that it is parental choice.”

For more details on the campaign visit www.savestbarnabas.org.uk and sign the Downing Street petition on http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/barnabas.

As the Express went to press there were 177 e-signatures. A parent from every class in the school has volunteered to be a point of contact who will bring any concerns and ideas to the attention of the campaign team.

There is also a ‘Save St Barnabas’ notice board in the school entrance for updates, information or contacts and a suggestions/‘get it off your chest’ box.

A spokeswoman for CCC said: “The fact that parents are willing to protest for the benefit of their children’s school is a tremendous credit to the school and its standards of education.

“We urge anyone with an interest in education to make their views known through the consultation process.”

Click on the Related Links to the right for more from other affected schools ...