Only one child was on the waiting list for a new 240-pupil primary school, forcing it to be axed, Bradford Council's executive committee heard.

Consultation will now start on plans to ditch the planned Waverley Primary School and instead expand the existing Farnham and Grange Road Primaries, which are on the same site.

Education officer Brian Dobson said staff already appointed to the new school in Lidget Green, Bradford, had been aware from January it might not open, and had been free to apply for other jobs in the Council's schools shake-up. Two teachers had accepted other jobs already, he said.

But Pam Milner, deputy secretary of teaching union the NASUWT in Bradford, which represents the teaching staff, said outside the meeting: "The rug has been pulled from under their feet and they have been plunged into uncertainty."

A potential problem with pupil numbers had been highlighted as early as April last year, she said, but as long ago as last May staff were led to believe by the Council that there would be no problems. A group of ten staff - including the head teacher, other teachers and administrative staff - had started planning for the challenge of the new Waverley Primary School and had even started to buy resources for it, some out of their own pockets, she said.

"They wanted to take their team work and expertise to a new school."

Access headache

Only one child was on the waiting list for a new 240-pupil primary school, forcing it to be axed, Bradford Council's executive committee heard.

Consultation will now start on plans to ditch the planned Waverley Primary School and instead expand the existing Farnham and Grange Road Primaries, which are on the same site.

Education officer Brian Dobson said staff already appointed to the new school in Lidget Green, Bradford, had been aware from January it might not open, and had been free to apply for other jobs in the Council's schools shake-up. Two teachers had accepted other jobs already, he said.

But Pam Milner, deputy secretary of teaching union the NASUWT in Bradford, which represents the teaching staff, said outside the meeting: "The rug has been pulled from under their feet and they have been plunged into uncertainty."

A potential problem with pupil numbers had been highlighted as early as April last year, she said, but as long ago as last May staff were led to believe by the Council that there would be no problems. A group of ten staff - including the head teacher, other teachers and administrative staff - had started planning for the challenge of the new Waverley Primary School and had even started to buy resources for it, some out of their own pockets, she said.

"They wanted to take their team work and expertise to a new school."

e-mail: jan.winter@ bradford.newsquest.co.uk

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.