Local Conservative District and County councillors in the Wantage and Grove area have reacted with anger to the decision of the County Council Liberal-Democrats under Cllr Zoe Patrick to ‘call-in’ the decision of the cabinet to create a new 600 place school in Grove.The call-in means that the cabinet decision has to be referred to the council’s Children Services Scrutiny Committee to see whether they wish to ask the cabinet to think again.The call-in is widely seen as an attempt by the Liberal-Democrats to save face after a calamitous performance by Cllr Patrick and her colleagues at the cabinet meeting on 20 June. Whilst she supported the option which would slash King Alfred’s School in Wantage down to 1250 students and cause massive disruption, her colleague Cllr Jean Fooks supported an option of one super-school of 2,500 pupils based both in Wantage and Grove.The cabinet chose the option which allowed King Alfred’s School to remain in control of its own destiny whilst giving Grove a new school initially of 600 places but with the potential to grow in line with local need.Cllr Bill Melotti (District Councillor, Wantage) said:“This is nothing more than a stunt. The Liberal-Democrats have let our communities down badly over the future of schooling in Wantage and Grove and they know it.“They claim that the call-in is needed to give voice to local concerns. It’s nothing of the sort. They are playing politics with the future of our children’s education solely to save face and to make a futile political gesture.”Cllr Iain Brown (Hanneys and Hendreds) said:“The suggestion that a secondary school with no sixth form is second rate is a contemptible remark and is a personal insult to many former pupils of Icknield and Segsbury schools who never went to sixth form. Councillor Patrick has exhibited a form of educational snobbery that has no place in civilised society.“It is particularly ironic that the Liberal-Democrats have called-in this decision on the grounds that educational aspects have not been considered when they appeared to be completely unaware that some of our best schools in the county do not have sixth forms.”James McGee (District Councillor, Grove) said“We have a decision that gives a new school for Grove, which it has needed for 30 years. This is a very welcome decision, yet local Liberal Democrats wish to push us down a route that would start a prolonged legal battle into unchartered territory, between the County Council and King Alfred’s school. Surely they cannot be serious, they can only be playing politics to try and get a good headline ?”“What we also find confusing is that Cllr Patrick, Lib Dem Leader for Oxfordshire says one thing, but her colleague in Oxford says another. The right arm is working against the left and clearly have no real idea of what they are trying to achieve.”