A FAMILY who moved from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Gwent so their young daughters could attend a traditional village school say they are distraught now it is facing closure.

Argoed Primary could close at the end of the 2006/7 school year.

Consultation documents listing Caerphilly council's reasons to shut the school are being circulated to parents, teachers and villagers.

Shop worker Larraine Pegram, 39, and her husband, transporter driver Stephen, 40, fell in love with Wales when they were here on holiday.

They decided to move here, and spent weeks looking at schools in potential villages for daughters Chance, 11, and Autumn Rose, seven, before finally selecting Argoed.

The family made the move last year - and until now were thrilled.

Parents and governors launched a campaign to save the school and Mrs Pegram, a member of the Parent Teacher Association, says they will fight until the end.

"We are all determined to save our school," she said, adding that Argoed had more than lived up to her hopes.

"It really is a fantastic school. The pupils are taught as individuals. They have got a name and are not just a number.

"The improvement in my seven-year-old daughter's reading has been astounding, and my 11-year-old has thrived. Her teachers discovered her strength lay in sport and really pushed her to excel."

She said giving their children a good education was the family's priority.

"We looked at the schools first because the education of our children is more important than having a lovely house.

"We looked in quite a few different areas but none of them seemed right. Then we walked into Argoed and knew straightaway this was the one."

She said in Newcastle she travelled across the city to ensure her two elder children, who are now teenagers, went to the best school available.

"Getting the best education for our children is very important to us," she said.

"I think it should be for the council, too. Allowing a school of this quality to close would be crazy."