PARENTS crowded the council chamber's public gallery yesterday as Moorlands Infant School was saved from closure.

All 45 mums and dads who have campaigned to turn the 120-pupil school into a primary clapped after Southampton City Council's executive member for education announ-ced he would not close it next year.

Instead, as reported in yesterday's Daily Echo, Councillor Calvin Horner has ordered that a feasibility study look at turning the school in Kesteven Way, Bitterne, into a 210-pupil primary school.

He has also called for a review of surplus school places in neighbouring schools in the Bitterne and Townhill Park areas.

The council recommended closure because the school, which has spacious buildings, has more than 25 per cent surplus places (123) based on government guidelines measuring how many children could comfortably fit in the school (243).

However, parents insisted throughout their campaign it was unfair to calculate surplus places like this when the school for four to seven-year-olds only has an admission roll of 180.