STUDENTS are fighting to save their school.

Pupils at Beardwood School, Preston New Road, Blackburn, are angry at the "unfair" decision to close it down as part of Blackburn with Darwen Council's £150m Building Schools for the Future (BSF) education shake-up.

The school council, supported by the rest of the student body, will be stepping up a campaign by starting a petition, and wearing T-shirts and wristbands with the Save Our School logo already on banners hung at the school's entrance.

Under the Government-funded plans, Beardwood would close by 2012, by which time three new super-schools would be built at Witton Park and Pleckgate High Schools, and a new East Blackburn Community College to replace Blakewater.

Education chiefs say that predicted falling pupil numbers means schools are needed in the east of the borough not the west, and the Beardwood is least suitable for BSF development.

The school council say that despite feeling "let down" by the decision, they are determined to do all they can to save their school.

Jamilah Patel, 15, said: "It's very unfair to close Beardwood. Most of our families have been here and had a good education, but this means that our children won't be able to. This closure won't affect us because we'll have left by then, but this is for future generations.

"It's a great school, it's like a big family where everybody knows everybody.

Atiyya Waka, 14, said: "When Pleckgate and Witton Park will be built, they'll be bigger schools and that means there won't be the same good relationships between teachers and pupils because the classes will be too big.

"Students starting in the next five years will have to be divided up to the other schools, which is not right.

"We don't understand why we have to close. We've been told that there'll be less pupils in the area, but that's not a good enough reason.

"And it's not fair to judge a school purely on its location."

Parents have also started their own campaign, and have invited all councillors to a meeting on Tuesday (16th) to put their case across.

Deputy head Jacquie Petriaho said: "We're all devastated about the closure and are fully behind the students' campaign. This is not and never has been a failing school, we get stronger every year as our record GCSE results how, which is why it's very hard for the pupils to understand.But the most important thing is to look at giving the best education to every child in the next five years."