THE gloomy spectre of closure hangs over Queen Anne School in York once more after its planned merger with Canon Lee was rejected by the Government.

City council leader Rod Hills said the school faced renewed uncertainty after the decision - but he promised a review of surplus places throughout the city would now be carried out.

Councillor Hills also accused school inspectors of issuing conflicting advice to education minister Estelle Morris.

Parents at Canon Lee School reacted with jubilation to the news that the Government had thrown out the council's controversial plan.But council leader Rod Hills said the decision now meant a renewed threat of closure for Queen Anne school despite its good standard of education.

"The Minister has placed great weight on Ofsted's views ,which implied Queen Anne School should close," he said.

Despite Ofsted recommending closure, Queen Anne head teacher Christine Priestley remained confident the school would stay open.

She said: "Schools in York are good schools, both secondary and primary, and we will continue to deliver the first class education to pupils.''

The decision to merge the two schools was taken by councillors last year in a bid to reduce the 1,400 surplus places in York schools by more than 250.

Coun Hills said the proposal would have saved £180,000 a year and enable a £700,000 investment in new buildings at Canon Lee.

He said a new committee would now be set up involving head teachers, governors, parents and councillors to look at the problem and its recommendations will go out to public consultation.

"Yet this flies in the face of Ofsted's published report, which said that Queen Anne provided a good quality education.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.