LOW BENTHAM showfield has been earmarked as the best place to build a new primary school for Bentham.

The plans will ultimately mean the amalgamation of both current primary schools at High and Low Bentham on a new site.

North Yorkshire County Council's director of education has approved a new school for the two settlements and a public meeting will be held to determine public opinion about whether High and Low Bentham schools should be amalgamated. The plans have the support of both schools.

The local education authority which came forward with the initiative believes that building a brand new school is the best solution to problems currently experienced by each school.

It says that while both are good schools where children do well, High Bentham primary has problems with a lack of facilities and a sloping site, the hall is prefabricated, it does not have all the equipment the LEA would like available to all children, office and staff spaces are too small and there is a lack of immediate access for the nursery and reception pupils to a well-equipped play area.

Meanwhile at Low Bentham, while the main building is sound and spacious, pupil numbers are low and it is one of the smallest in North Yorkshire.

The LEA feels that it will soon be struggling to 'balance the books'. Access is difficult and one class is housed in a prefabricated room.

Added to this are the challenges of providing children in such small groups with the wide range of experiences and interaction with other children that they need.

It is expected that many of the current staff in both schools will be absorbed into the new facility and a shadow governing body from both schools will have an input into the facility as it is being built.

Heather Ashton, chairman of the governors for Low Bentham Primary School, said initially the feeling was that those involved with the school wanted to try and keep it as it was, but do not see the advantages offered with a brand new teaching facility.

"We like the family atmosphere and ethos of treating each child as an individual at Low Bentham. However, we feel that this is a good opportunity for the whole community. The facilities will be brand new and there will be provision for pre-school and after-school care."

Head teacher Vivienne Ayre said: "This will be a very big change for our children, but we intend to take our ethos of care of the individual pupil into the proposed new school".

Catherine Boocock, headteacher of High Bentham Primary School was also enthusiastic.

"At the moment we are struggling with the lack of facilities here. Our hall is too small and while we are not full to capacity, we do struggle with a lack of space," she said.

The consultation process has already begun with parents of children at both schools receiving a letter outlining the plans from the LEA. They also have forms to fill in to air their individual views.

The consultation process will last until December 23 and in spring 2006 the council will decide whether it wants to proceed with the new school.

If so, the facility could be in place by September 2008.

As part of the process, a public meeting has been organised by the county council in Bentham Town Hall on Tuesday December 13 at 7.30pm.