Parents campaigning against the closure of a small village primary school are to take their fight to a council committee meeting to show their concerns at the proposed move.

Norfolk County Council has already issued a formal proposal saying Eccles, Hargham and Wilby Primary School will be shut because: 'A continued decline in pupil numbers and changes to school funding are making it increasingly difficult to manage the budget and to bring about sustained improvement in educational outcomes for its pupils.'

As of January this year, the school had just 27 pupils on its roll – but parents said the school had made a 'massive difference' to their children's education, with its small setting particularly helping those with special learning needs.

Despite the council's indication, the Parents Against the Closure of Eccles School (Paces) has continued to lobby councillors including Steve Askew, who represents the Guiltcross division which covers Eccles.

Ina de Smet, of White Hart Street, East Harling – a parent who was planning to send her sons Nathan, aged five, and Ruben, three, to Eccles – said she and other parents now planned to attend the next children's services committee on July 10 to make their views known.