PARENTS have come up with their own solution to schools re-organisation in their town.

And because questions have been raised about the county council's justification of its own proposed £19.5 million upheaval, an independent analyst has been appointed.

Popular Blandford middle schools St Leonards and Milldown would close if the town switched back to a two-tier system under county council proposals.

County Hall says the move is necessary because figures show that numbers of children will drop in the future.

But parents have come up with the idea of federating the middle schools with the upper school.

Campaigner Keith Tench said federation had worked elsewhere in Dorset. At the Dunbury School there was one head and one board of governors but bases in four villages.

And there were softer models in Christchurch and Bere Regis where specialist teachers were shared.

"This way we could keep the excellent teachers we already have at the middle schools," he said.

St Leonards' governor Carole Sharp said: "Parents want the enrichment that you get in middle schools where children blossom. Under the two-tier system years five and six are going to suffer, staying in first school for another two years when they are ready to move and having no access to a science lab, music studio or out-of-school clubs.

"We're still not believing what they're saying about the numbers of children because there's an increase in the birth rate but federation would allow for contraction and expansion and make sure we're not throwing the baby out with the bathwater."

District councillor John Tanner said he was not at all satisfied with the way the figures had been arrived at and had asked for the methodology to be published.

"I'm not the only one who doubts the figures - just look at all the building that's going on," he said.

Education chief Phil Farmer said officers would be researching the federation idea and reporting back to the committee.

"The county council has appointed an independent analyst to review the way the local authority has carried out its consultation, concentrating particularly on how the numbers were arrived at," he added.