An education chief has warned a Braintree school will close if more improvements are not made in the next few months.

Essex County Council has decided to delay a decision to shut Braintree's Chapel Hill Primary School to give it more time to show marked progress.

At a meeting of the council's cabinet on Monday, members agreed to wait for more information.

But after the meeting county councillor Iris Pummell, chairman of the education board, warned it could not leave the school in special measures for much longer.

She said: "There comes a point where we have to think of the children's education and what is best for them. We really don't want to close the school, but we cannot continually leave the children in a situation where their education is going to suffer."

She added: "We thought is was only fair to the school to wait until the inspectors have been in to see if the latest report is more positive. But I will be very concerned if it isn't."

The school has been monitored since being given a six-month stay of execution in April, and has made some progress.

But the latest inspection, carried out in November, concluded: "The school's present position is weak" and "Standards of attainment remain low."

Parents, staff, Braintree MP Alan Hurst and Braintree Council have all backed a campaign to keep the school open.

Chairman of governors Lynn Knight said she was relieved the decision to close the school had been delayed.

She added: "Chapel Hill School community is determined that it will work to bring the school out of special measures.

"With the appointment of the new experienced headteacher, Gina Arymar, and the enthusiasm of additional governors, we are all optimistic that with the support of the local education authority the school will move forward in a positive way."

The cabinet will discuss the school again on March 26.

Published Wednesday, February 20, 2002