An infant school is set to merge with a nearby primary due to a national shortage of teachers, Surrey County Council has told worried parents.

The Acorns Infant School will merge with Brockham Primary School, under plans being discussed by the authority.

Concerned parents heard the proposals at a meeting at Brockham Primary on Thursday, February 25. About 100 parents and staff met as part of a consultation running until March 26.

Dad Darren Archer, 43, of Oakdene Road, Brockham, said: "It will cause a logistical nightmare if the school moves to three sites with one head teacher.

"They said it would work but I can't envisage how it can."

Other residents are worried the new system will affect catchment areas.

Melanie Harris, SCC's local education officer, said: "Peter Martin, the cabinet member for children and learning, will decide on the basis of the consultation to propose a statutory notice to close one of the schools.

"We are proposing a technical closure of the Acorns and the expansion of Brockham Primary School."

The proposals, which will be decided by the county council in June, will see The Acorns Infant School's two sites in Tapners Road, Leigh, and in The Street, Betchworth, amalgamated with Brockham Primary School.

Mrs Harris added that the reasons for not appointing a new Acorns head were firstly that children do better at primary schools and secondly there is a huge national shortage of suitable head teachers.

She said: "If you are a very small school you can't really attract anybody of sufficient calibre."