A POOLE school's popular bid to change its status has been dashed by the local education authority.

But disappointed Heatherlands First School has not given up hope that it may in future become a primary school.

Under Schools for the Future reorganisation, the 342-pupil first school in Library Road, Parkstone is due to become an infant school.

However the school thought it could better serve its community by becoming a primary school, for which it received strong community support.

A petition of 311 names was presented to the Borough of Poole in support of the school, with parents, staff and governors in favour of expanding the school to take children up to age 11.

In becoming an infant school, Heatherlands would lose a year, to take pupils from four to 11.

Ray Parish, chairman of the governors, said they were disappointed the council had decided against them.

"We feel we are a community," he said.

"We have a lot of support from current parents and past parents.

"We feel we can offer a far better community service if we are a primary school."

The school, under head teacher Mrs Sally Burns, prepared a submission making their case to councillors, which suggested reducing intake from 90 to 60, to protect other schools within the Rossmore pyramid.

"We haven't given up hope," said Mr Parish and John Nash, strategic director for education, confirmed it would be reconsidered.

The government's Building Schools for the Future programme is to focus on primary schools (infants and juniors) in 2009 and the Borough of Poole is expecting an initial £5-6 million, he said.

Over 15 years the authority will be expected to rebuild or refurbish 50 per cent of its primary schools.

"We will look at each case on its merits - if Heatherlands is more important than rebuilding Hillbourne School, which we have combined but is still in two buildings, or combining Turlin Moor," he said.

"It might well be these are the schools that we'll consider first."

He added: "There was a campaign in the Heatherlands area that said the borough is going to close Heatherlands.

"We were never proposing closing Heatherlands."