Four Croydon schools need a miracle to remain open after Croydon Council's chief executive admitted only an "exceptional argument" would save them from the axe.

Addington High, Selsdon High, Haling Manor and Westwood Language College are all earmarked for closure as part of the council's £350m secondary school review.

Last week Haling Manor headteacher John Troake tried to ease parents' worries by telling the Croydon Guardian the plans were still open for public consultation.

But town hall chief executive Jon Rouse admitted it would take an extremely impressive argument to prevent the four schools closing and being replaced with two academies.

He said: "Those schools getting less than 30 per cent are never going to be good enough. We will have to hear a very good case as to why a fresh start is not the way forward."

Haling Manor School's latest results showed 18 per cent of students getting A* to C at GCSE, but it is in the top six per cent for contextual value added score - the way the Government measures how children improve during school.

Mr Rouse praised the score but said it was not enough, and that parents were making their voice heard through their choice of school.

He added: "At the end of the day this is about young people, and they have been voting with their feet.

"Haling Manor is doing a good job but when you look none of the parents are putting it as first choice - it does not have a long term future.

"Archbishop Tenison was 212 per cent oversubscribed last year."

The comprehensive review includes expansion for several faith schools, including Virgo Fidelis, Archbishop Tenison and Coloma Convent.

Mr Troake complained there were too many selective schools in the borough and the abolition of four schools with only two replacements would leave even more parents without a choice.

But Mr Rouse refuted that claim, saying the plans would increase choice and provide better education. He also backed the creation of two academies to replace the failing schools.

He said: "It's early days for academies but there are two things about them - many have achieved improvement and parents like them."

Some staff would be transferred to the new academies and the transition would be staggered to minimise disruption to pupils.

Mr Rouse said the council was starting this process "in a position of optimism" but there can be little optimism for the four schools that now seemed destined to close.