A campaign is growing to save a school in Brandon from closing as part of an education shake-up in Suffolk.More than 200 people packed into Breckland Middle School earlier this week to air their concerns about Suffolk County Council's plans to adopt a two tier schools system.

A campaign is growing to save a school in Brandon from closing as part of an education shake-up in Suffolk.

More than 200 people packed into Breckland Middle School earlier this week to air their concerns about Suffolk County Council's plans to adopt a two tier schools system.

The proposals, which could see 40 middle schools close across the county, would mean that children over the age of 11 in Brandon will have to travel to Mildenhall to continue their education.

More than 2,000 people in the town have so far signed a petition against the closure of Breckland Middle, in Crown Street, which they say performs a valuable role within the community.

Bill Bishop, local county councillor, said parents were against their 11-year-olds having to travel to Mildenhall College of Technology and losing their extended hours education.

“The county council does not seem to take into account the expansion of the town. They say we do not have the numbers for a high school, but in my view there will be over 1,000 extra houses and 600 kids in the town in the next five or ten years,” he said.

A public consultation on the Suffolk County Council plans is set to run until December 15 and could result in five middle schools in west Suffolk closing by 2011. The petition against the loss of the Brandon school is also set to be posted on the Downing Street e-petitions website.

Mark Skinner, governor of Breckland Middle, said there was a possibility that it could become a Key Stage 3 school as part of Mildenhall College of Technology.

“It is a very valuable site and it would be a great shame if it was redeveloped. There are so many after school clubs at Breckland Middle and it runs so many things in the community. It would be a big loss,” he said.