THE nursery class at Malvern Hills Primary is set for an unlikely reprieve just weeks after its closure was announced.

Worcestershire County Council's overview and scrutiny committee is recommending the school be given full backing and two years without the threat of closure.

The cabinet's decision to close the nursery was called in' after opposition from several councillors, including school governor Di Rayner.

When overview and scrutiny met at County Hall on Tuesday, chairman John Buckley said the decision had been too hasty.

"We feel the council should be working with the school either to build the nursery up or to get an alternative provider in there," he said. "We should no longer be talking about closing things, but building things up."

The threat to the nursery surfaced in December 2006, less than a year after the school had been saved from closure by an independent schools' adjudicator. In the past year the school has come out of special measures, and was rated good in its most recent Ofsted inspection.

Coun Jeremy Webb said the council had undermined the adjudicator's decision by trying to close the nursery.

"You cannot get confidence back in just a few months," he said. "I think we have to honour his decision and give the school a fair chance, no matter how much some people might not like it or find it an inconvenience."

A factor in the cabinet decision was that only three children were expected in September, when 26 places are available.

But coun Tom Wells said the school had been operating with the Sword of Damocles' over its head for the past few years, and that parents were looking elsewhere because of concerns for its future.

Cabinet member for education Liz Eyre said local authority nursery provision was struggling across the county as parents preferred the flexibility of private care. She added that the welfare of the individual children at the school was her priority, and that their life chances were being affected in a class with such small numbers.

Coun Rayner said closing the nursery would spell the end for the school, and that the decision would allow them to restore confidence and improve nursery numbers.