THE new Liphook home for a private Petersfield junior school moved a step closer when contracts were exchanged this week.
The beleaguered Littlefield School finally closed its doors on the last day of term on Wednesday, following a long and painful fight by parents to save the school.
The school will now become Churcher's Junior School, which is moving from its present site 10 miles up the road, seven years after the search by Churcher's governors for a new site for the school
Churcher's bursar David Robbins told The Herald on Wednesday: "We exchanged contracts at the end of last week for the purchase of the Littlefield School site. We plan to carry out refurbishment work and open for the start of the January term next year."
He added: "It is somewhat of a relief to have an end to the difficulties we have experienced in successfully planning to relocate our junior school.
"We looked at many, many sites, but the governors finally settled on Littlefield School.
The bitter fight to save Littlefield began at the beginning of the year when rumours were rife that the school was to be sold.
The nursery school closed in May with the loss of jobs and parents formed a consortium in a bid to save the school.
A huge advertisement in The Herald demanded answers from the directors, who defended the decision to close the school on financial grounds and a downtown in the numbers of pupils.
The anger raged on for months with claims and counter-claims following a £1.25m bid by parents to buy the school.
But parents were left angry and bitter, with many in tears, after being told that their counter bid had failed.
On the last day of term, just 30 or so pupils said their farewells as they prepared to start new schools next term.
It is understood that the headmaster, John Preston, who took up the post a year ago, and some teachers are still looking for jobs.