PARENTS battling to save a threatened Newport school are planning their next moves.

Malpas Park Action Group is calling on Assembly Education Minister Jane Davidson to intervene and halt the planned closure.

Last week Newport council dealt the blow they had all been dreading - it proposed to close Malpas Park Primary as part of a review of city primaries.

A meeting of the group was held on Friday evening to discuss their next steps, which include a public meeting on a date to be decided.

David Robinson, a parent and member of the group, said they still felt angry. "It is our kids we are fighting for. If they change the school education is going to suffer."

He added they were considering demonstrating, and said: "We are looking at all other legal avenues."

They want all the parents to write to Ms Davidson at the National Assembly.

"We believe Newport council have not considered the quality of education in their review. Secondly, the plans are based on saving money, and this will cost money."

Thirdly, he added, the council had not taken into account the National Assembly's intention to decrease class sizes.

Last week the council revealed plans to close Malpas Park and Malpas Court and open a new school on the site of Malpas Court.

It also proposed to shut Don Close Nursery, Millbrook Infants and Monnow Schools, in Bettws, and have a single school at Monnow Infants. Millbrook Junior and Monnow Junior will be united on the Monnow Schools site.

Falling pupil numbers led the authority to make its decision. Councillor Bob Poole, cabinet minister for education, said: "It would be easy for us to do nothing, but we want to manage Newport's education properly."

The proposals will now be going out for further consultation.

A spokeswoman for Ms Davidson said it is for local education authorities to consider how they run their schools, taking decisions on whether they need to open new schools, merge them or close them. No LEA should undertake any changes without going through the proper legislative process, she added.

They must go through the statutory process of consulting on the proposals, and then only if there are any objections do they come to the minister.