THE future of the farm at Angley School at Cranbrook seems secure after governors bowed to public pressure. Since the school first declared it was thinking of closing the farm in July to save £34,000 a year, there has been a huge groundswell of community support for farm manager Nick Cooper and his Young Farmers Club.

Business proposals put forward by the hastily formed Angley School Farm Development Group seem to have persuaded governors that the farm need not be a financial burden.

Following a meeting of governors, a statement was issued by the school, which read: "The governors were delighted to hear of the positive response from the whole community. The original proposal was based entirely on financial considerations and the governors now look forward to forging partnerships with local business, farming, parents and the wider community."

During a two-month consultation period, the Young Farmers collected a 5,000 strong petition in support of the farm; there were offers of sponsorship from local businesses and other schools emphasised how important a trip to the farm was for their own pupils.