MORE than 40 children have been removed by their parents from Dunmore Junior and Infants Schools in Abingdon following the controversy surrounding plans to reorganise the schools next year.

Oxfordshire County Council education officials say they are concerned about the trend and urge parents not to unsettle their children until the outcome of consultations becomes clear.

The council provoked anger among parents when it announced two options for the future of the schools.

One was to merge them and the other involved the creation of a new school, linked to Fitzharrys School, which pupils would be able to attend from the ages of three to 19.

More than 700 people attended two public meetings to hear the county's proposals.

Angry parents urged officials to rethink the plans. The Fitzharrys option was rejected and parents called for another option involving the creation of a new four to 11 primary school.

The proposed changes have prompted some parents to pull out their children from both schools and resettle them in other schools.

Figures released by the county show that 24 children have left the Junior school, which is in special measures following a bad Ofsted inspection, and 20 from the Infants.

Reham Thomas of Abingdon Road, Drayton, sent her three children, Ben, ten, Callum, seven and Halah, three, to the Dunmore Schools but only Callum remains at the Infants school. Ben and Halah have been found places at Chilton Primary.

Mrs Thomas said: "My husband and I had looked at Chilton Primary before, but opted for the Dunmore schools - both of which had a good reputation.

"The infants is fantastic. The headteacher is outstanding and the whole environment and ethos is good so we decided to keep Callum there.

"Unfortunately the same can't be said for the junior school. In recent years it's gone downhill.

"Headteachers have changed and the whole place is unsettling for everyone."

Mrs Thomas said they could not risk waiting around for a decision as she wanted the best opportunities for the children.

She said Ben and Halah's move had not disturbed them.

"Both have settled in very well," she added.

"They like the school and have made friends. We have no regrets about moving them from Dunmore."

The council's assistant head of educational effectiveness, Irene Kirkman, said: "We would like to reassure parents that primary education will continue without interruption on the Dunmore site.

"Next September it will be business as usual for the children as they will be in the same buildings, following the same curriculum and being taught by the teachers that they know.

"Our aim is to restore stability to the Dunmore schools as quickly as possible by providing a resolution in response to the consultation findings."

The county says the school is improving but not fast enough and a new approach is needed if it is to get out of special measures.