Banner-waving protesters lobbied councillors as they arrived on Tuesday to debate West Sussex County Council's far-reaching school reorganisation plans for the Rother Valley.

Members have decided to support WSCC's plans to restructure primary education. But they want the county council to re-examine its plans to close Rogate and amalgamate Northchapel with Petworth Primary turning Northchapel into an infant school for four to seven- year-olds.

Northchapel campaigners claim this would sound the death knell for the school.

Parents, they say, will go elsewhere to avoid what would be, effectively, the only three-tier school system left in the Rother Valley.

Cllr Heather Caird told fellow members she was concerned that falling school rolls could get worse and parents could move away to Surrey or Hampshire.

Cllr Brian Hooton said Northchapel was a happy and successful school.

"I can see no justification for tearing the heart out of a community, on the evidence so far put forward. Young children would be taken out of their environment, subjected to a very tiring journey every day, and put into a very strange environment," he said

Cllr Brian Weekes said that if this proposal was pursued, a community would be destroyed.

"We will eventually see the school disappear and the village shop disappear," he warned.

District councillors also pressed for 'appropriate supervision' on school buses and for assurances all school staff and head teachers would be fairly treated in any redeployment.

The council voted to support the establishment of an academy to replace the three existing secondary schools in Midhurst, Easebourne and Petworth.

But they want the three current school heads to be given special consideration when choosing the new academy leaders.

They want strong parent and community presence among the new governors. And they want special teaching skills for Year 6 pupils in the new primary schools.

Cllr Stephen Quigley, chairman of the policy committee, said it was felt the idea of an academy was worth supporting, but councillors needed reassurances on certain issues.

Cllr Nick Thomas said Midhurst town councillors strongly believed the academy should be built on the present school site in Midhurst.

"There are lovely, traditional buildings there that could be part of the mix," he added.

The concern was that the 'heart and soul' of Midhurst should be retained at the present location.