THE balloons have well and truly gone up in a Hampshire infant school's battle for survival.

Staff and pupils of the Manor Infant School at Holbury, near Fawley, made the most of a staff training day by packing into a coach and heading for Hampshire County Council's headquarters at Winchester.

There, the deputation of about 25 adults and 35 children released red balloons and handed a 1,500-signature petition to county councillor Mel Kendal, who chairs Hampshire's education policy review committee.

The committee will in March be looking at proposals for a shake-up of infant and junior school education in Hampshire, and those proposals could include possible closures because of a declining birth rate and a high number of vacant places for pupils.

The future of Holbury and Blackfield Junior and Infant schools and Fawley Infant School will be discussed at the same time. But when they took their "save our school" campaign to the Castle at Winchester, Friends of the Manor spokeswomen

Lizzie Williams and Julie Stephens said: "This is only the start."

Mrs Williams added: "The first stage of our campaign will end in March but we will go on until we have saved the school."

Mrs Stephens said: "We are aiming to keep our profile high and show how passionately we feel that the Manor should keep going. It is a vital part of the community."

They were praised for their interest in the school's future by Councillor Kendal. But he added: "We always need to ensure our resources are having the maximum educational benefit, and reviewing surplus school places - which are costly to maintain - is part of that process.

"Between the 28 primary schools in the east New Forest, there are about 734 surplus school places."

The education review committee, he said, would be visiting each of the schools in the review area over the next few months.

But the campaigners had the support of Waterside county councillors John Coles and Brian Dash.

Councillor Coles, who represents the Fawley Division, said: "Of course the Manor should stay open and I think it will stay full for a few years yet.

"It's a very good school, very well-run, the kids love it, the mums find it very convenient and it is a safe school in a very good environment.

They should explore all the possible alternatives before even thinking of closure."

Councillor Dash, who is the Liberal Democrats' education spokesman said: "The object of this exercise is to see how reorganisation of schools can improve the quality of education.

"For the love of me, I can't see how closing an excellent school would do that."