FOUR council-run primary schools in Salford are likely to close.

And an education chief has warned that action must be taken soon to shut several Roman Catholic primaries.

In September, officials revealed plans to shut 10 local education authority schools to shed 2,000 surplus places.

But the Department for Education changed the formula for calculating school capacity. This means that now there are about 1,000 surplus places.

The council's cabinet has approved four closures and five other schools will remain under review.

Expanded

Despite a campaign against the proposal by children and parents, Alder Park Primary in Winton is recommended for closure with pupils going to an expanded Westwood Park nearby.

It is hoped that in time a new school could be built on the Alder Park site to replace both schools.

In Ordsall, St Clement's CE (Egerton) and Radclyffe Primaries would close with a new school being built on a site on the estate.

Lewis Street Primary in Eccles will remain open for the time being but it is hoped it will eventually merge with Christ Church CE.

Beech Street Primary in Eccles, which had been earmarked for closure, has won a reprieve, but its capacity will be reduced.

Fewer children

Six Roman Catholic primaries in Salford could also close because parents are having fewer children.

A report into the situation suggests that St Sebastian's Primary in Gerald Road should close and three schools in Little Hulton - St Edmund's, Our Lady of Lancashire Martyrs, and St Joseph's - should merge on the St Edmund's site.

St James's in Pendleton and All Souls in Weaste would merge with a new school being built in Langworthy. In addition, St Joseph's in Ordsall would merge with St Clement's (Egerton) CE.

Salford council's education spokesman, Coun Keith Mann, said: "School performance is a very important factor in the consideration about what we do about surplus places."