THERE were big smiles on the faces of Southampton pupils yesterday as they arrived at their school to find out that it was being saved.

Harefield Infant was to be joined with the junior to create a tiny 210-pupil primary on the junior school site, and the infant school was to be axed.

After a fierce battle fought by parents and governors, education bosses agreed to open a primary with 315 places on the infant school site, in Yeovil Chase, Bitterne.

It means the school's special sensory environmental trail will be saved - and no children will be forced to transfer to other schools.

A flyer handed out to pupils yesterday stated: "We have a guarantee of a Harefield school place for every Harefield child - security and stability for all of our children."

There were mixed views about the amalgamation among parents, but infant school head Shirley Lewis said the decision was the best they could have hoped for.

"This is the best possible outcome for the community," she said. "I'm so pleased that the action group have worked so hard, and have got this result for the children.

"It was all about enabling the children to come to a school in their local area, and saving the infant school building, which is much better for learning. To lose the sensory garden would have been criminal too."

The infant school was thrown a lifeline when education bosses had a last-minute change of heart. They voted unanimously to create the one-and-a-half form entry Harefield Primary. It will open in September 2006.

The decision followed a six-month consultation period and was part of a reorganisation of school places due to falling pupil numbers. Southampton City Council's schools boss Calvin Horner said: "The modified proposals will ensure that there are more places at the new Harefield Primary for pupils whose parents want them to go there."