PARENTS, teachers, governors and residents have shown overwhelming support for turning Mansel Infant and Jun-ior schools in Millbrook into a primary.

The proposal received the most votes during a six-week public consultation into the removal of 400 surplus places across the Millbrook and Redbridge area.

It was just one of six options put forward by education bosses to remove places across seven city schools due to falling birth rates.

Current population forecasts show that one in five classroom places will be empty by 2008.

A joint statement issued by Mary Palmer, head teacher of Mansel Infant, and Rosemary Aylett, head teacher of Mansel Junior, said: "We agree with the proposal to amalgamate. We feel it would be in the best interests of children at both schools.

"We are excited at the prospect and know it will give us lots of opportunities. We also hope this will give us the chance to develop our facilities to benefit the whole community." Results from the consultation show that 284 of 527 people who took part in the consultation exercise voted to amalgamate the schools.

The 126-pupil infant school (54 surplus places) and 161-pupil junior school (79 spare places) would form a 210-place primary school.

Mason Moor Primary would be reduced in size from 315 places to 210.

Both Newlands Primary (420 places) and Redbridge Primary (210 places), which have together received more than £5m of government money to be rebuilt, would remain the same size.

Tanners Brook Infant (270 places) would reduce in size to 180 places and Tanners Brook Junior would see its places drop from 360 places to 240.

Another option put forward to close the two Mansel schools attracted 39 votes.

Councillors on Southampton City Council's Lifelong Learning and Training Scrutiny Panel will today meet to make their own recommendations to the Cabinet member for education Councillor Calvin Horner.

He will decide on the final proposal to be put forward for consultation on May 23.