A SOUTHAMPTON school threatened with closure has won a last minute short-term reprieve.

The man charged with deciding the fate of Moorlands Infant School has ignored council officers' recommendation to close the school because of falling pupil numbers at the start of next year's autumn term.

Councillor Calvin Horner, the city council's executive member for education, will today announce his decision to carry out a feasibility study of the 120-pupil school, looking at the pros and cons of turning it into a single-form entry primary school.

He will also call for a review of neighbouring schools to see how the problem of surplus places caused by falling birth rates can be solved.

This would include Bitterne Park Infant, Glenfield Infant, Harefield Infant and Townhill Infant schools.

Junior schools would also be included in the review including Bitterne Park Junior, Harefield Junior and Townhill Junior schools.

Concerned parents and residents will have to wait until November for the results.

Lib Dem Councillor Horner said he had come to his decision after listening to the arguments of parents who campaigned vigorously for turning the school into a primary.

Opposition councillors on the Lifelong Training and Scrutiny Panel also voted unanimously against the proposed closure of the Bitterne school which caters for four to seven-year-olds.

Cllr Horner said: "It is the right thing to look at school organisation and to make sure we have schools that meet the needs of pupils and parents."

He said the parents' campaign, which argued that the school was at the centre of the community and any closure would lead to more traffic congestion as parents would face longer school runs, helped shape his decision.

"The parents have made their case very effectively."

Parents' spokeswoman Jo Barnard, who has two children at the school Ricardo, 7, and Sophie, 5, said she was delighted with the result.

"We have tried to put strong arguments forward for keeping the school open and they seem to have worked.

"Personally I am just so grateful along with the 30 other active campaigners and the hundreds of parents and residents who supported us."

Mrs Barnard said about 40 parents still intended to travel to today's Cabinet meeting at the civic offices to show their support for the school and appreciation for Cllr Horner's decision.

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

Parents complained this criteria was unfair. The school's current admission roll is 180, with 60 places available in reception year.