Education chiefs are being urged to save an Oxford school from closure by amalgamating it with one of the county's biggest primary schools.

Headington Quarry First School is likely to close in the summer because of falling numbers.

But school governors say the school could be amalgamated with the new primary school being created in Windmill Road. He said: "The present First School in Windmill Road is to be amalgamated with our children aged nine to 11. The resulting primary school will be a school of 750 pupils rising to 900. Many people think the primary school being created is too big.

"You have to wonder about the wisdom of having such an enormous primary."

He believes an amalgamation with Headington Quarry could provide the answer. "Children could spend their first two years at Headington Quarry and then at the age of seven move to Windmill Road.

" Many people in Headington and Risinghurst are sorry to hear of the possibility of Headington Quarry School being closed. I see no reason why it cannot be saved, even if it means linking up with the new primary."

Brendan Greehy, the chairman of the governors at Headington Quarry, welcomed the Rev Cocke's intervention.

He said: "The governors are prepared to look at all possible ways to save our school. We have looked at the idea of mergers with other schools, but Windmill Primary has not yet been one of them."

John Mitchell, spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council eduction service, said: "While it would be technically possible to have the Windmill school split between two sites with an infants part on the site of what is now Quarry First school, in practice it would soon be perceived and run as two separate institutions.

He said: "There is ample space at the site to be occupied by Windmill school, and therefore no need to operate on a split site with all the disadvantages that entails.

"In any case Quarry First school is too small to house more than one complete year group from Windmill."