Union members and charity fundraisers have lent their support to two special schools for vulnerable children which are threatened with closure.

Representatives of the Oxford Round Table and the National Union of Teachers have written to Oxfordshire County Council, asking for the schools to be kept open.

The council is investigating whether to close Woodeaton Special School and Iffley Mead School, in Oxford, which both cater for children with emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties, as soon as September 2003.

Increasing numbers of pupils with moderate learning difficulties are being included at mainstream schools in the county, with the result that pupil numbers at the schools are falling.

The move has been resisted by parents and teachers from the two schools, and Oxford Round Table and the NUT are backing them.

The union has criticised including more pupils with special needs in mainstream schools.

NUT branch secretary for Oxfordshire, Mark Forder, said: "Every week brings fresh examples of the failure of the LEA to provide anything like adequate support to children with serious complex needs.

"The stress and anxiety caused to teachers is a frequent cause of long-term illness and of damaging learning experiences, both for pupils with special needs themselves and for their classmates."

Members of the Round Table have organised Woodeaton School's annual Christmas party for the past 10 years.

This year they contributed £1,500 towards what many fear will be the last such occasion before the school is forced to close its doors.

Tabler Paul Taylor, said: "We know, from the important work we have seen Woodeaton do, that Oxfordshire needs schools like this. We don't want to see children who need special attention get washed aside by the larger number of pupils at mainstream schools."

Places at special schools have to be approved by the council.

Places at Woodeaton Manor School, the only residential school for special needs children in Oxfordshire, have been cut by the county council from 60 to 40, with pupil numbers expected to fall to 28 by next September.

Headteacher Caroline Grant said: "Some of the mainstream schools' headteachers are up in arms at being told that there aren't any places here, when clearly there are. We don't know who's misinforming them, but we're very upset."

Simon Adams, senior education officer for special educational needs, said: "We have to ask ourselves, do we need two schools?

"Our policy, which comes from central Government has been to strengthen mainstream schools and encourage inclusion of as many children with moderate learning difficulties as possible."