An "outstanding" nursery school has been given a reprieve after being threatened with funding cuts.

People had to be turned away from the public gallery at a meeting of Barnet Borough Council tonight as hundreds of people arrived to support Moss Hall Nursery School.

In proposals from Barnet Borough Council the West Finchley nursery school would have had its £220,000 subsidy cut by 50 per cent from April 2015, followed by 25 per cent the following year, before being scrapped altogether.

Proposals had also been put forward to merge Brookhill, St Margaret’s, and Hampden Way nursery schools with Moss Hall, to create one governing body.

But a motion put forward by Labour councillor Rebecca Challice to give the schools more time to reach an agreement was approved by a majority of 32.

Cllr Challice’s motion also asked councillors to approve Moss Hall’s business plan, which the nursery says will make savings of £160,000 while still keeping the nursery open.

The public gallery, as well as Labour councillors erupted in claps and cheers and Cllr Challice, the youngest councillors in England, was given a standing ovation.

Speaking in favour of the council's proposals, Councillor Rueben Thompstone, the chairman of the children, libraries and safeguarding committee, said: "If the council chooses not to recommend this, those who vote against it will propose to take real cuts in some of the most deprived areas of Barnet.”

Cllr Challice gave up her right to speak in favour of allowing Andrew Thirsk, vice governor at St Margaret’s School, to give the authority his views.

He said: “We are reluctant to accept the amalgamation, threat of closure and the loss of skilled jobs. We governors are yet to be convinced the proposal is workable financially and retains the outstanding rating.

“We want outstanding early years education to continue in Barnet. If amalgamation is the way forward we are happy with that but we’ll need more time.”

Cllr Brian Sallinger went against his Conservative colleagues and proposed an alternative motion, a financially sustainable plan for all four nursery schools, which had been endorsed by the council's cabinet this year but was not adopted.

He told the meeting: “The problem lies in that the early years formula isn’t fit for purpose. That urgently needs reviewing and then when that’s done a lot of these problems will go away.

“Children don’t get a second chance with their education and we need to give them the best possible start we can.”

Cllr Sallinger's motion was defeated but Cllr Challice's motion was accepted.