A TINY school is awaiting news of its fate following a make-or-break meeting in London.

A delegation from Oldfield Primary, which is fighting Government moves to impose academy status, visited the capital to plead its case with Education Minister Lord Theodore Agnew.

This week the school's executive headteacher, Angela Vinnicombe, described the meeting as "very positive".

"We presented the case for Oldfield – including a portfolio of photographs and comments from each child about changes to learning at the school," she said.

"Lord Agnew listened carefully and asked us several questions about the school, the federation and the local area.

"We hope to have a decision before half-term so that one way or another, we can all move on and build for the future."

She pays tribute to the support given by MP John Grogan, who arranged last Thursday's meeting, at the Department for Education.

They both attended the meeting together with chairman of the governors, Pam Freeman, and parent governor Hannah Fuller.

Mr Grogan said: "We had a good discussion with the minister and two of his officials.

"I remain hopeful that a decision will be taken on the merits of the case and that the current teachers and governors, who have done so much to improve the school in recent months, will be left in their place to get on with the job."

Oldfield Primary – which has fewer than 50 pupils – was slapped with an academy order by the Department for Education after a damning Ofsted report last year, in which it was rated ‘inadequate’ and placed in special measures.

But the school says massive improvements, begun even before the inspection team’s scathing document was published in September, have been made.

And there are concerns that ‘academising’ the school would be a retrograde step, which could even put the future of the 142-year-old building in jeopardy.

Bradford Council is backing the battle, and has appealed against the academy order.

Oldfield Primary was just two days away from formally becoming part of the Ingrow & Long Lee – or Footprints – Federation, when the Ofsted report was published. The move was frozen.

Despite the official link-up being scuppered, the federation has continued to help the school with staff, resources and expertise.