TWO primary schools have applied to lower their age ranges from four to three years old.

The move comes after a Banbury primary school applied to take over a failing pre-school, while Cassington's St Peter’s Primary School hopes to merge with the village's pre-school.

Oxfordshire County Council is to decide on Monday if Hill View Primary School in Banbury and St Peter’s can lower their age ranges by a year.

Hill View Primary School, in Hill View Crecent, shares its site with Hill View Pre-school.

The pre-school is closing after being rated “inadequate” by Ofsted twice and having its funding from the council withdrawn.

The primary school has requested approval to open a Foundation Stage Unit in its place to start in September offering 40 part-time places.

It would use the old Hill View Pre-school building and have secured funding to remodel and improve the premises.

St Peter’s Primary School hopes to merge with neighbouring Cassington Pre-school, in The Green.

It currently uses a small pre-fabricated building and would move into the primary school building.

It has secured a grant of £25,000 for a permanent extension of the school.