THE six years since 1998, when Worcestershire Education Director Julien Kramer launched his bid to close down Worcester's Elbury Mount Primary School, have been traumatic.

To us, his reasons were sound. He believed the school wasn't delivering a good enough education to its young pupils, and he was right.

But while we'll never criticise the sincerity of his opponents, or the spirit and resourcefulness they used to run an effective and victorious campaign to keep it open, we've always felt they became trapped on a runaway emotional train.

In essence, they should have asked themselves whether the children had a right to be numerate and literate in one, two, five or 10 years' time - and whether it was likely to happen at the Elbury Mount.

Today, we're celebrating the thrilling news that its transformation has moved a massive step closer.

The details of what will happen there, if county councillors rubber-stamp the plans on Tuesday, June 8, are outlined on Page 5.

The road from those grim days of 1998 has been long and tortuous. Angry words have been exchanged, accusing fingers pointed and protest banners waved with passion.

But it's hard not to contrast the kind of school children will walk in to during the coming year, and the education they'll receive there, with what went before.

We really believe that Elbury's brave new world means the children of Warndon and Brickfields will have a better chance in life than ever before. And that's all that's ever been important.