Parents, pupils and staff from St Patrick's Grammar School turned out to protest a decision to merge 'Red High' with two other local schools, on Thursday morning.
Around two hundred people protested outside the Department of Education building in Bangor.
Many held placards and chanted “those consulted, not affected, those affected not consulted” in support of their stance.
Read more: School merger in Co Down branded "disgrace" by angry parents
The go-ahead to merge De La Salle High School, St Mary's High School and St Patrick's Grammar School was given by Michelle McIlveen in October last year, shortly before she left her post as Education Minister.
It comes after they submitted a bid to the courts at the start of this week to judicially review the decision by the then-Minister.
The merger is due to take place in September 2024.
The Red High PFA is an independent body which represents around 500 parents of pupils at St Patrick's Grammar.
School principal Joe McCann said he felt that the consultation process which started in 2018 over the proposal was flawed and did not adequately reflect concerns.
"When this began back in March 2018, pupils, parents of pupils and staff at St Patrick's Grammar School were quite clear in voicing very serious and strong opposition to this, highlighting many concerns they have about the out-workings of such proposals," he said.
"Almost five years later, the position hasn't changed.
"We remain resolute in our belief that as thing stand, this is a proposal that will be very difficult to implement, manage and oversee and it's not in the best interests of the people of Downpatrick."
He said that he felt that greater efforts could have been made to explore different avenues for change.
"We're disappointed that throughout the process, our views have not really been given the credence and due consideration that we felt they merited," he added.
"We feel that many of the concerns that were highlighted at various stages of the consultation, had they been listened to and given proper consideration, then I don't think that we would be standing here today.
"I think we would be perhaps looking at trying to implement a different solution over a longer period of time that could get the transformation that may be needed, albeit in a different way."
Sheila Reynolds is the mum of a Year 11 pupil at the school, as well as daughter Chloe in P6 at a local primary school and who may end up at the proposed new school - she said they had no option but to protest.
"It directly affects my children, Chloe will be on of the first children that this affects," she said.
"There's a real gender imbalance for this, the new 'super school' will be about 70-30 to a boy-girl ratio.
"So that's a major concern for me, on how would she cope and how would any of the girls cope.
"For boys they would have no grammar school to go to, their nearest one would be Belfast or Newry - this new school will be a grammar school but only by name, it's not academically selective."
She went on to say that she felt the new school would not feel like one school community.
"We have to keep fighting, this is the future of our children," she said.
"It's one school split over three sites, that's just outrageous that that is allowed to happen.
"There's 1600 children, but they're split into three different schools - where's the sense of community there?
"School's the best days of your life, you meet lots of new friends but they'll all be divided. It's just wrong, it's a whole mess."
Year 9 pupil Owen Rogan took part in the protest and said he was worried that he and his brothers may end up at different schools over the proposal.
"I do not want the amalgamation top go ahead because my brother done his transfer test," he told Belfast Live.
"If this school amalgamates he wouldn't want to come here.
"He liked that and I liked that as well so I just think it would be nice to keep that going.
"My two younger brothers would obviously have to look to change schools in the future and with them going to a different school, it just wouldn't be the same as it used to be."
A Department of Education spokesperson said the proposal represented a plan for "re-shaping of post-primary provision in Downpatrick to address sustainability and provide high quality education long into the future".
“The decisions to approve these proposals were taken by former Education Minister, Michelle McIlveen, on October 10 2022," they said.
"The four development proposals (DPs) proposed the discontinuance of the three schools and the establishment of a new Co-Educational 11-19 Voluntary Grammar School (VGS).
“DPs are subject to rigorous and extensive analysis of relevant data and decisions are taken in the educational interests of children.
“All evidence on which the decisions were taken is published on the Department’s website. This includes a detailed assessment of the body of representation made to the Department during the statutory objection period issued in response to the Education Authority’s (EA’s) pre-publication consultation.
“Once decisions are taken on DPs they are required to be implemented. It is not within the power of the Department or the Permanent Secretary to reverse decisions.”
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