PARENTS will stage a protest outside the gates of a primary school over plans to axe nearly a dozen teaching assistant posts.

SS Osmund and SS Andrew's RC Primary School in Breightmet is proposing to make 11 teaching assistants redundant, with the school blaming budget pressures.

Now a campaign is under way to save the jobs, calling on people to "fight for our children's future".

Parents, school staff and members of the local community will demonstrate against the proposals at the school gates.

It follows a public meeting on Monday when concerns were raised over what impact the loss of the posts would have on children's education.

Suzi Boardman, Unison representative, said: "School across Bolton and elsewhere are facing the impact of massive government spending cuts.

"Schools are increasingly being expected to make impossible choices between spending money on books and equipment or spending money on staff and the support young people need.

"School budgets are simply not adequate. Eleven teaching assistants jobs are currently under threat at St Osmund and St Andrew's School. These are essential workers who provide vital extra support to pupils to help support their learning. These jobs should not be cut. Unison will be supporting the Teaching Assistants fighting to defend the essential work that they do. We will be supporting the lobby of the school on Monday."

The protest will take place on Monday at 6pm.