Ripple School recorded a CD to voice its opposition in 2004

The Ripple School, near Dover, is one of five schools earmarked for closure, while four more could be merged.

The county council said it needed to deal with the financial impact of falling pupil numbers across Kent.

But Dover and Deal MP Gwyn Prosser accused the Conservative-run local authority of ripping the heart out of his constituency's communities.

The Kent Primary Strategy aims to address an "unacceptable" number of surplus places in the county, starting with the Dover area, the council said.

The School Organisation Advisory Board will consider whether there should be a public consultation on the closure and amalgamation plans at a meeting on 19 April.

SCHOOLS WHICH COULD CLOSE Ripple School St Radigunds Community School St Joseph's Catholic School Langdon Primary School Goodnestone CE Primary School SCHOOLS WHICH COULD MERGE Melbourne Community and The Powell School South Deal and Mongeham

Staff, pupils and parents at Ripple School fought a long campaign to save it from closure in 2004 and also recorded a CD to voice their opposition.

Andy Roberts, chairman of the governors, attacked the latest move as "absolutely shameful".

"The gloves are off and the bloody nose that the local education authority got last time, they will get again," he declared.

Leyland Ridings, county council cabinet member for education, said: "It is a very small school and it costs on average �1,000 more per pupil to educate a pupil in a school that size, compared with the average for Kent as a whole.

Mr Ridings said the school currently had 41 pupils, but that there were only three families from Ripple who sent their children there.

Mr Roberts argued its popularity outside the immediate area showed "what a successful and special school" it is.