TWO New Forest schools were today celebrating the prospect of survival while six others were preparing for the possibility of mergers.

In the biggest shake-up ever to hit infant and junior school education in the Waterside area, Hampshire councillors will be asked next week to give their support to keeping open Fawley Infant School and Manor Infant School in Holbury.

But the county council's education policy review committee is also being asked to give its blessing to three amalgamations - of Blackfield infant and junior, Holbury infant and junior and Langdown infant and junior - to establish three primary schools.

The committee meets on Tuesday and will make its recommendations to the county's executive member for education Don Allen. The committee is being told that the revision of available primary school places has been prompted by the decline in the number of children in the area, with last year's figure of 734 surplus places likely to rise to 1,312 by 2007.

At the Fawley and Manor schools, "brilliant'' was the word on the lips of every parent, guardian or grandparent picking up their children yesterday afternoon.

Parents and governors have been running a "Save our School'' campaign for the past seven months. More than 70 travelled to Winchester on Saturday to deliver a huge Valentine card asking the county to think again.

At Manor, parents and staff were in jubilant mood, but there was an air of caution which will remain until the recommendation is turned into decision.

Douglas Eaglen, a governor of both Manor and Fawley schools, said: "It's a wonderful piece of gingerbread and obviously we're hoping there will be gilt on the gingerbread when the county makes its decision.''

The Langdown merger comes in the wake of considerable uncertainty over the future of the junior school.

The recommendations for the Holbury and Blackfield pairings simply say "to establish'' new primary schools.

While it is in special measures, Langdown Junior has a new head teacher in Andy Hayes and is being run by an interim executive board which includes county councillor Brian Dash, a former county education vice-chairman.

He said: "The balance which is an extremely difficult one is the continuation of schools for the Langdown community. Nothing must be done which would put that at risk.''

At Holbury Junior School, head teacher David Mewes said the governors' chairman Derek Willsher would be making representations to the committee on Tuesday.

Blackfield Junior School head teacher John Perkins and governors of the infant and junior schools will also be going to the Winchester meeting.