A COUNCIL is forcing schools to amalgamate before they are ready, according to their chief governor.

Margaret Toase, chairman of governors at Ayresome Junior and Ayresome Infant Schools, is unhappy with Middlesbrough Borough Council's proposals to turn them into a primary school.

A report to the council's education cabinet, which meets tomorrow, highlights the advantages of such a move, and recommends that councillors approve it. But while it claims amalgamation would complement a £1.5m improvement scheme and cancel out staff vacancies, Mrs Toase considers the scheme ill-timed.

"When they closed St Christopher's a couple of years ago, we had to take a tremendous amount of their children, and there were a lot of problems with behaviour," she said.

"I want the best for the kids and the staff, but I don't think the staff are ready for this yet.

"We are still trying to put our house in order."

The proposal, which forms part of Middlesbrough's School Organisation Plan for 2001-2006, follows a similar overhaul of the town's secondary schools, which was bitterly opposed by many staff and parents.

The report states that the option of amalgamating the town's other separate infant and junior schools - Beechwood Infant and Junior, Linthorpe Infant and Junior, and Whinney Banks Infant and Junior, is also being considered.

It says: "There will be clear revenue savings arising from amalgamation, which will supplement the budgets of all schools. In some cases, it might also be possible to remove surplus places and assist the attraction of capital funds to upgrade buildings."

But Mrs Toase said: "I'm far from happy about this. The proposal went to the infants first and was kicked out. The outgoing head of the juniors voted for it, but he has now left. They are going to force it at the end of the day, but we are not happy about it."

She warned the council could find itself facing a battle. "An overwhelming number of staff are against this. There are people out there who will oppose it.