GOVERNORS at a Dorset special school have vowed to fight to the bitter end to keep it open.

Dorset County Council chiefs voted unanimously earlier this month to shut Penwithen School from August next year.

The move means that pupils who have a range of emotional and behavioural problems and who would have attended Penwithen will be educated closer to home, meeting the council's inclusion policy.

Now governors at Penwithen, who held an emergency meeting following the decision, say they are going to make representations to the school organisation committee.

The committee, which is independent of the Dorset Local Education Authority, looks at the rolling five-year school education plan, which sets out school provision.

As part of the role it can be asked to look at any changes to the plan including proposals to open, close, extend, reduce, or change the

status of any school covered by the plan, especially where there are objections to the proposal, as in Penwithen's case.

Lyle Harmon, acting headteacher at Penwithen School, said today that the school was still waiting for the public notice to be served confirming the closure of the school from the end of August next year.

"At the meeting of governors we had a lengthy discussion to consider our present position.

"Whilst recognising the decision made by cabinet last week, the unanimous decision of the governors was to make a representation to the school organisation committee after the public notice has been served - this should happen during the next two weeks.

"The governors hope that representations will also be made by other professionals and particularly the parents of Dorset children."

Mr Harmon said the immediate focus for governors until then was the education and welfare of the school's remaining pupils and the welfare of all of the school's staff.

If the closure of Penwithen is carried out, education chiefs say they have found alternative places for all of its pupils.