CAMPAIGNERS will have to wait three months to hear a final decision on whether the axe will fall on 108-year-old Ampfield Primary School.

At a meeting yesterday school bosses failed to agree on either saving the school or closing it.

It means the crunch ruling is handed over to an independent adjudicator appointed by the Department for education and Skills. He or she should make an announcement by May.

The delay has frustrated protesters who launched a Save Our School campaign last year.

But it also gives them a glimmer of hope that the tiny rural primary could still be rescued.

Out of the five groups sitting on the Schools' Organisation Committee, only the Church of England voted to save the historic primary, which has just 23 pupils.

Because the decision has to be unanimous among the groups, which include Hampshire County Council and a selection of school governors, it meant the closure plan was not passed.

Tony Blackshaw, director of education for the Diocese of Winchester, told the meeting: "If we remove Ampfield, I am concerned that we are restricting parents' right to express their preference. It's not just about the amount of money spent on each child." The village school was earmarked for closure in a Romsey schools review last year.

In October, Hampshire County Council's education boss Don Allen ruled that it was too expensive to run - and issued notices for closure.

But parents objected and yesterday they turned out in force to hear the fate of their precious school.

School vicar The Rev Roger Edwards told the meeting that the school was "a happy and bright place of learning much loved by the children".

Romsey MP Sandra Gidley MP told the meeting: "It makes sense to give the school breathing space to get back on its feet."

But Hampshire education boss Alex Munro said there were not enough Ampfield children going to the school and that there were places available in nearby schools.