PARENTS at two closure-threatened Gwent schools are gearing up for a fight to save them.

Monmouthshire County Council proposed to close Sandy Lane Infants and West End Infants in Caldicot because of too many surplus places.

The plans would see Sandy Lane Infants School closing in September 2008, with infants transferring to St Mary's school.

West End Infants would close between 2010 to 2012, with pupils moving to Green Lane school, where a new school would be built.

Welsh medium school Ysgol Y Ffin would move from Sudbrook to the empty site at Sandy Lane in September 2008.

Sandy Lane parent Gina Beacham said: "We will be fighting to save the school.

"We are not going to let them take it off us."

We previously reported how mother-of-two Mrs Beacham, of Elan Way, Caldicot collected a petition with around 1,115 signatures and sent it to Assembly Minister for education Jane Davidson.

She is also planning to send a copy to cabinet member for education Councillor Peter Fox.

The council will be holding consultations with the school, parents and governors.

For 2005-06, there were 89 pupils in West End Infants with a surplus of 85 places, and 102 pupils at Sandy Lane with a surplus of 72. In all five schools there were currently 697 pupils with 257 surplus places.

In January a council working group on the schools reorganisation was set up. It recommended St Mary's and Green Lane become all through primary schools. Sandy Lane and St Mary's will be the first phase of the proposal, and West End and Green Lane the second.