TRIUMPHANT parents have won their battle against the amalgamation of two schools in Cricklade after governors admitted defeat last night.

Plans to merge St Sampson’s Infant and Junior schools had a rocky reception from the outset, with a large proportion of parents and staff objecting to the proposal.

So an announcement to infant staff this morning that the amalgamation would no longer go ahead was reportedly met with joy and relief.

The decision was made in a meeting held last night by the governing body, along with members from Wiltshire Council.

After enquiries by the Standard this week and a backlash from parents over the venture, governors are believed to have said enough is enough.

Parent Christopher Neville Jones, who has campaigned against the move was delighted with the outcome.

“We won!” he said. “It just goes to show what a group of parents can do.”

“The infant staff have been against this from the start, so you can imagine what the atmosphere is like at the school today,” he said.

Anxious parents feared that they would be unable to stop the infant school from closing in September this year.

And were planning to make a last-ditch attempt at a crucial “tipping point” by bombarding Wiltshire Council cabinet members directly with their complaints this week.

Revelations of secret meetings held by governors prior to the amalgamation vote last year outraged parents who sought action from Wiltshire Council and the Department for Education to no avail.

Along with a lack of communication from governors, parents also raised concerns that merger plans had been badly managed, after infant and junior teachers were given just one day to decide on a 20-year vision for the proposed primary school.

An official announcement is expected to be made to all parents today.

(More follows)