Parents, governors and staff at Hoyle Court Primary School in Baildon are drumming up support from the village community in their campaign to stop the school from closing.

Pupils have written to Prime Minister Tony Blair urging him to intervene, and parents have been out in force over the last few days collecting names for petitions calling for the school to remain open.

Bradford Council is proposing to shut the school - and six other district primary schools - in July 2004 because they have too many surplus places.

But governors, parents and staff are fighting the proposals, and have the backing of the leader of the Council's Labour group, Councillor Ian Greenwood (Lab, Little Horton).

Coun Greenwood visited the school yesterday to talk to staff and governors about their concerns.

"I'm not convinced by the argument that has been put forward in the Council's report," he said after the meeting.

"This is a school that has extremely high standards, is on an excellent site that is accessible to all, including wheelchair users, and is located in a community that has a distinctive geographical identity.

"It seems to be the wrong way to go about things.

"If you have a successful school then that should be encouraged."

Around 30 parents and governors from the school will be attending Bradford Council's Executive Committee meeting today, during which the proposed closures will be discussed.

Miranda Vasey, an LEA governor at Hoyle Court, said they will read a statement voicing their concerns over the proposals.

"We would hope to have the decision deferred," she said.

"We feel that it has been too hastily arrived at.

"It has been based upon a set of figures and projections rather than by looking at the other implications.

"Our aim is to get the decision deferred. But we need to keep the pressure on."

Mrs Vasey said the school aims to propose other ways of dealing with the problem of surplus school places.

"We believe that it is unfair and unreasonable to propose closure of one school when that school does not have the problem of surplus places," she said.

The whole school is getting behind the campaign. South African drummer Raymond Otto, pictured, rallied the children's spirits with a display of traditional music, and Year Six pupils are writing to Prime Minister Tony Blair to tell him of their plight as they try to save their school.