FOUR Southampton schools will hear their fate today as a final proposal is put forward for public consultation on their futures.

Different options include closing Moorlands Infant or turning the 97-pupil school in Kesteven Way, Bitterne, into a primary.

Another plan is to reduce the number of pupils at Beechwood Junior.

There is also a proposal to amalgamate Harefield Infant with Harefield Junior into a single primary.

Today's decision comes after a month-long consultation into the future of school places across the Bitterne and Townhill Park area which attracted 550 responses.

education bosses need to remove about 400 surplus places due to falling birth rates.

Forecasts show that Bitterne Park, Glenfield, Harefield, Moorlands and Townhill Infant schools will together have 324 spare places (28.4 per cent) by 2008.

At Beechwood, Bitterne Park, Harefield and Townhill junior schools education bosses predict there will be 220 spare places (16.3 per cent)

Southampton's Cabinet member for education Councillor Calvin Horner will today decide the final proposal for a second public consultation that will finish at the end of March.

Moorlands campaigner Jo Barnard hopes he will opt to turn Moorlands into a primary.

"Moorlands is a high-achieving school with a fully-inclusive ethos that attracts considerable parental and community support."

She added: "Its early years provision is established, its academic standards are high and rising, it is very well managed and consistently within budget."

Education bosses have scrapped plans to amalgamate Glenfield Infant and Beechwood Junior schools or reduce the number of pupils at Townhill Junior School.

One supporter of Townhill Junior, who declined to be named, said: "It's great. We should not have been included in the first place.

"We are always full up."

After the next consultation the School Organisation Committee will, with representatives from the local education authority, governing bodies and churches, give the final go-ahead.

If they are unable to make a decision, a government appointed school adjudicator will determine the outcome by the end of the summer.

Any changes are to come into force in September 2006.

PROPOSALS:

1: Moorlands Infant (180 places) to become a one class of entry primary (210 places)

Beechwood Junior (360 places) to reduce in size to 240 places

Harefield Infant (180 places) and Junior (238 places) to amalgamate as a one class of entry primary (210 places)

2: Moorlands Infant to close

Beechwood Junior (360 places) to reduce in size to 240 places.