THE FUTURE of a thriving village school is in jeopardy after residents objected to ambitious new expansion plans.

Portesham Primary School has applied for permission to reduce its two separate sites to a single establishment in Winters Close in a £350,000 revamp.

The blueprint represents the school's final hurdle in the fight to shed its poor academic image - in 1999, a former headteacher resigned after Ofsted inspectors declared it a failing school. Although teachers at the voluntary-aided school have managed to turn its fortunes round to scoop fourth place in recent league tables, they still do not have space to offer pupils a full curriculum and they have no disabled facilities.

Parents fear for their children's safety as they cross the busy main road which divides the infant school from the junior building.

But villagers are more concerned about extra traffic if the plans go ahead, and believe a proposed bell tower design makes the height of the proposed building too intrusive.

They want extra trees to be planted as screening to stop the new school invading their privacy and also claim the consultation process has not been thorough enough.

But headteacher of the Church of England school, Phil Minns, said: "I am not surprised, because we had always anticipated we would get some objections, and even encouraged them, because they are part of the planning process.

"But it's still a pity that people have to object to a school.

"Our children are fantastic, they work hard and are well-behaved, yet they do not have the school they deserve, so we will be pursuing this on their behalf.

"Everybody feels that the school should be on one site.

"I will be very disappointed if we do not get planning permission, but I hope it does not come to that."

If planning chiefs at West Dorset District Council give the nod to the revamp at a meeting next month, the 100 pupils hope to leave the 150-year-old building in Front Street and be settled into their new school by Christmas.