THERE were scenes of joy and anguish yesterday as the winners and losers in the Monmouthshire schools battle were revealed yesterday.

In an eleventh-hour turnaround, councillors voted to retain Clydach, Darrenfelin, Govilon, Croesonen Infants and Park Street Infants schools in Abergavenny schools - all earmarked for closure.

But Llanover, Llanfoist, Llanfair Kilgeddin, St.David's Junior, Abergavenny and Green Lane Junior in Caldicot will still close.

Under the review - the biggest education shake- up in Monmouthshire's history - Llanellen Primary School has already closed due to falling numbers, Llanfair Kilgeddin will close in 2008 and St David's will become the home for the Welsh-medium primary school Ysgol Gymraeg Y Fenni.

Govilon will expand to become a 210-pupil school instead of building a new district school at Llanfoist, and pupils from Llanfoist, Llanellen, Llanfair Kilgeddin and Llanover schools will be expected to go there.

Yesterday's decision will be be discussed by cabinet next Tuesday before going to the Assembly.

More than 100 parents, staff and governors from threatened schools were at County Hall, Cwmbran, to hear the debate. They had fought a hard campaign to save their schools. There were celebrations as the successful groups gathered afterwards. Deborah Lewis-Richards, whose three children are all in the infants department at Clydach Primary School said: "We are all thrilled to bits, but I have to admit we didn't expect the voting to go our way."

Clydach pupil Christopher Harris, five, said: "I'm happy because I love my school and my teachers."

Govilon governors' vice-chairman Ioan James, whose two granddaughters attend the school said: "We are really delighted, it's a victory for common sense." But parents and governors at Llanover Primary School vowed to fight on.

Vice-chairman Helen Cox, whose three children attend the school, said: "We have just had an excellent inspection report, and the idea that small schools can't deliver the National Curriculum has been rubbished in the report."

Caldicot parents were also unhappy at the recommendation to close Green Lane Junior School, despite a 1,100-name petition from the community to retain it as a primary school.

Parent governor Julie Fry criticised governor Councillor Bill Edwards, who voted to close the school. She said: "We are all absolutely disgusted that a governor has voted to close the