Schools in Bradford facing the biggest challenges should get more cash than those in better off areas, an education boss told the inquiry into underfunded classrooms.

Councillor David Ward, executive member for education, said that instead of a 'level playing field' the schools with the hardest job to do should get disproportionate amounts of the money available.

His comments to the Council's education scrutiny inquiry followed complaints of inadequate funding from leaders of two village schools, Wilsden and Cullingworth. Wilsden's head said teachers were having to buy their own classroom resources.

The complaints received short shrift from Coun Ward (Lib Dem, Idle), who made an impassioned plea on behalf of schools serving deprived communities.

"We need to ensure the money gets to where it's most needed," he said.

"I do have some dispute with the Wilsdens and Cullingworths of this world, because if a school which is arguably short of resources is actually performing in the top ten per cent of schools, and spending £60,000 on ICT facilities, and has average class sizes of 25, OK it might be difficult, but there are degrees of difficulty.

"Some schools have social, language problems of a completely different scale.

"We need to identify those schools that are really struggling, where children are so far below their true potential that it makes the problems of Cullingworth and Wilsden seem really quite trivial.

"I'm sorry if that seems harsh.

"The children of Culling-worth and Wilsden will do pretty well in life. But there are far too many children I'm concerned and worried about in terms of their futures."

Giving evidence on the fifth day of a public inquiry, Coun Ward said millions of pounds of extra funding had been pumped into Bradford schools since 1999, but admitted more needed to be done.

He said the aim was to increase spending levels in Bradford so that they matched 'statistical neighbours' - similar local authorities, a gap currently estimated at £11 million per year.