Governors at two schools are fighting council proposals for a merger.

Brighton and Hove City Council wants to create a through-school for children aged three to 11 by combining Balfour Infant and Junior Schools in Brighton and introducing a new nursery class for pre-school children.

Three new primary schools have been created in this way at Carden, Moulsecoomb and Whitehawk.

However, Anna Ketts, chairman of governors at Balfour Junior School, said it was wrong to treat Balfour in the same way.

She said: "These were all schools with falling numbers of pupils and other problems. The Balfour schools do not have these sort of problems. They are happy schools, over-subscribed and high achieving. Merging them would be setting a precedent and we object very strongly.

"Both the schools have their individual strengths and these would be lost if they were made into a through-school. I have had many parents come up to me and say the same phrase, 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. As a parent of pupils past and present I do not want future pupils to miss out on the happy school life my children have had."

The proposal has been put forward by council chiefs because the head of the junior school is leaving at Easter. It is council policy to moot all-in schools whenever a head leaves.

Governors at both schools objected to the plans when they were consulted earlier this year.

Junior school staff voted unanimously against the council investigating the plan.

Despite this, the council is pushing ahead with a public meeting to discuss the proposals with parents and other interested parties.

Mrs Ketts said: "The council has shown absolute disregard for the governing body."

A public meeting is being held at Balfour Junior School hall on Wednesday, April 25, from 7pm.