HEADTEACHERS last night attacked council plans to consign city primary schools to history as part of a multi-million pound shake-up.

Toxteth’s Beaufort Park and St Margaret of Antioch CE are both due to close in August next year, as part of Liverpool council plans which will see up to £10m pumped into transforming the remaining primary schools in the Toxteth and Dingle areas of the city.

St Malachy’s and fellow Catholic primary Our Lady of Mount Carmel – already federated and run by one headteacher – would shut the same year.

In their place, a new school serving both communities, and housing an eight-place special needs unit, would be created in the modern building occupied by nearby Beaufort Park primary.

Liverpool council stress the move will create “21st-century schools “ and address the issue of falling rolls in a part of the city where more than one in five school desks are empty.

Previously failing Beaufort Park was last year ranked satisfactory by the education watchdog Ofsted, which concluded it had made “massive improvement in all areas”.

But, with the school having 30% of surplus places, which could rise to 68% next year, the council believes it does not have the capacity to sufficiently improve.

Last night, its headteacher of the past four years, Caroline Wheatley, disagreed with the assessment.

She said: “As the head of the school, I am incredibly upset given the progress made and hard work everybody at the school has done.

“We have got a good report from Ofsted, which said we could continue to improve and grow. But we continue to ensure the children get the education they deserve.”

St Margaret of Antioch CE currently just has 90 pupils on roll – a 48% surplus – and the council believe its “outdated” Victorian buildings would cost too much to renovate.

But Jim Craig, who has been at the school’s helm for 25 years and guided it through three consecutive good Ofsted reports, described the closure plans as “very disappointing.”

He said he was aware the government expected surplus places to be removed prior to investment.

But he said: “Yes, we are a small school but that is part of its success in that we cater for the needs of all the children.”

On the condition of the building, he added: “It’s a bias against old buildings. When we had the really hot summer a couple of years ago, three recently built schools had to close as it was too hot, yet we were beautifully cool.”

He also stressed the school site boasted plush grounds.

Liverpool council stress nothing is set in stone and consultation runs until June 19.

The council intends to refurbish at least 47 primaries within 15 years.