The massive reorganisation of Bradford's schools is way behind schedule with 18 projects still not likely to be completed by the start of the new term, the Telegraph & Argus can today reveal.

And 23 schools will open late for the new school year - with some pupils gaining a summer holiday stretching to almost eight weeks.

The £186 million school rebuilding programme, launched to help eradicate middle schools, was projected to finish by September.

Schools chiefs have admitted privately that the process - involving 156 projects - may even drag on into 2004.

Builders are racing to complete as many schools as possible by September's deadline and a total of 20 schemes are supposed to finish over this summer holiday.

Bovis Lend Lease, the company with the contract for the rebuilding programme, said it had put improved planning in place to ensure the start of the new term would go smoothly.

In previous years schools and parents have been angered by delays that have meant pupils could not start on time.

This time schools have been asked to agree extra days off in advance to allow teachers the time to set up their new classrooms.

It means that a handful of schools - including Wyke Manor secondary school - will be getting extended summer holidays. At Wyke pupils are off for nearly eight weeks.

The children affected have already missed a fortnight's schooling when their middle schools were abolished two years ago.

"Our primary focus is on those schools which are due to be completed in the last two weeks of the holidays, our efforts will be targeted on those and making sure they are delivered on time," said Robert Holt, head of programme at Bovis.

"Cleaning, moving into the school building and setting up classrooms is a complex process. This time we are working with the schools rather than trying to hit an unachievable target date."

Phil Green, director of education at Bradford Council, said: "There has been analysis of what happened in the past and how things can be improved in the future."

Term starts on September 5 or 6 but 23 schools will have pupils starting late. Five schools are due back on September 9; nine on September 10; seven on September 11 and two (Clayton Village Primary and Belle Vue Girls') on September 12.

For some other schools, bosses can't say even when building will begin.

One example is St Philip's Primary School in Girlington, which is promised a new school but has been held up over difficulties finding a suitable site in the densely populated area.

Of St Philip's and 17 other schools that will definitely not be complete in September, Mr Green said: "Where schools are delayed, its for a good reason or it is for factors beyond our control. From our point of view the rebuilding process is going very well. We want schemes to complete as rapidly as possible but there is no point in doing that if you end up with something that is not fit for purpose."

Schools Section