ATTEMPTS to save Lowick's village school got a knock this week from a damming Cumbria County Council report.

The Lowick and Blawith Educational Trust has put together an ambitious plan to re-launch the 19-pupil Furness primary as Lowick New School' in September in response to a CCC ruling to shut the existing school at the end of the summer term.

But the trust's vision to transform Lowick into Britain's first co-operative state school' supported by CCC funds, alongside backing from organisations like the Co-operative retail group, has failed to impress CCC's education officers. They have asked the council's ruling cabinet to object to the plan at next Tuesday's meeting, condemning the budget for Lowick New School as "lacking in credibility" and dismissing arguments that its new co-operative principles made it unique as "far from strong". The school's fate will be decided on July 8.