PLANS HAVE been unveiled to merge Silsden’s two primary schools to help tackle an overcrowding crisis.

Aire View Infant and Hothfield Junior Schools could move together to a new site in Silsden once the merger has gone through.

The merger would see an end to school-places misery that has seen youngsters refused admission to Hothfield despite living only half a mile away.

Several parents were shocked this month to discover their children were not allocated places despite already attending Aire View and having siblings at Hothfield.

Children were instead offered places at Riddlesden St Mary’s Primary School, leaving parents wondering how to get children to two school sites four miles apart at the same time each morning.

MORE EDUCATION HEADLINES

Parents, including Louise Armstrong, of Dean Grove, and Jane Hitchcock, of Crossmoor Close, called for Aire View and Hothfield to be treated as one entity when applying the ‘sibling rule’.

Louise Armstrong said she would need to be a “magician” to ensure her children got to three separate schools in Silsden, Riddlesden, and Cross Hills on time.

The Silsden merger proposals, put out for public consultation by Bradford Council, have been welcomed by a leading politician in the town.

Town and district councillor Adrian Naylor said he and Town Council chairman Chris Atkinson were keen to see an expansion of school provision in Silsden.

He said: “We’ve been been working on this for a year now, identifying new sites and moving it forward.

“I’m really glad to see we have movement, and that people can actually see things beginning to happen.”

Councillor Naylor said neither school could be expanded on the current sites, which are both surrounded by housing.

Bradford Council sent its consultation document to parents of local children.

It said the combined school would have one headteacher and an enlarged governing body, and the number of children admitted each year would rise from 75 to 90.

Priority for school places would be given to siblings of existing pupils, avoiding this year’s problem of younger children refused places at Hothfield.

The document added: “The school would either be run on a split-site basis, using the current school buildings, or if possible one new-build school on a site yet to be determined in Silsden.

“The governing bodies and headteachers of both schools have been in discussion with the local authority and are supportive of the proposal.

“All staff and members of the governing bodies of both schools would have equal status and will be transferred over to the new primary school.”

Local councillors have long campaigned for a new, larger school in Silsden to meet increasing demand as thousands of new houses are built.

The preferred school site is believed to be on fields between Bolton Road and Daisy Hill, an area of town also earmarked for new housing developments.

The council said benefits included continuity of education and less disruption for children, only one application for admission for under-11s, and financial savings for both school and parents.

The consultation process will continue until July 6, then a full analysis, report and recommendations will be presented to the council’s Executive in September.