CHILDREN as young as four face being taken on ‘crazy’ 20 mile-round trips to classes if the Government fails to provide money to build a new primary school in Worle - education leaders say.

Priory Community School, which converted to an academy last month, wants to help satisfy demand for primary school places in the area by building a new 420-pupil facility on its land.

Leaders at the Queensway site say if the Government fails to provide �8million to build the new school, North Somerset Council will be forced to take dozens of children by bus to places miles out of the area each day - because of a lack of available spaces in the existing schools.

Chair of governors Gary Leece is calling on parents to give their backing to the plans, which he says will go to the top and be relayed to David Cameron.

He said: “Sadly the council has its hands tied because the Government says there is no money available to pay for the new school to be built.

“The council tells us that if we cannot get funding to build the new school then they might have to bus children out of Weston.

“It would be a shocking waste of taxpayers’ money.

“It is in Weston’s and Worle’s interests to build the school, but we need the help from the Government here to prevent a crazy situation.

“Someone has to see sense on this - and soon.”

A newsletter to parents, sent out this week, urges the community to write in to support the plans.

The letter says: “I hope that prospective parents and existing parents can write or email us so we can take the results to the Department for Education.

“Through any new build we’d need more dining and community leisure facilities. We see this as being good for the whole community and hope it will have wide support.

“We understand that there are simply no primary school places in the area and the thought of four-years-olds having to go by taxi to school is simply not right.”

Principal Neville Coles says he has agreed in principle with North Somerset Council to establish two reception classes from September 2012 He added: “At this stage we are seeking guarantees that a new primary school will be built from September 2013, pending guarantees our reception classes will be open in September 2012.”