Turmoil in schools shake-up

The city's education chiefs have told head teachers to prepare for the worst after warning that essential rebuilding for schools may not be ready by September.

A confidential Council report, seen by the Telegraph & Argus, informs 53 primary school head teachers they are expected to be given at least 70 extra portable buildings between them to accommodate pupils when the new school year begins.

Many other schools - both primary and secondary - are to face splitting their classes across separate sites while waiting for the massive building programme to be completed.

The work is needed to help slim Bradford's education system from three tiers to two - eradicating middle schools - but faces delay because a building company to oversee the work has yet to be appointed.

A governor at one school today accused the Council of "incompetence", and Councillor David Ward, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said the plethora of new portable classrooms would make the city look like a "shanty town."

The cost of hiring the extra classrooms could be as high as £18,500 a week.

But Bradford Council leader Ian Greenwood said the report was meant purely as a consultation document.

He said the interim arrangements should come as no surprise to schools.

However the report - sent to all head teachers and governors in the district - has caused widespread anger.

It comes after the T&A revealed in December how the Council was £47 million short of the total it needed to complete the reorganisation. It is now in talks with the Government about making up the shortfall, but has yet to remedy the situation.

Nick Leach, the chairman of governors at Grove House Primary School, was scathing in his condemnation of the Council. "I have stopped short of saying it in the past, but it is incompetence," he said.

Without building work to extend its current building, the school will be forced to operate between its base in Myers Lane and the site of Bolton Lane Primary - which is closing - as well as having an extra three or four mobile classrooms.

Mr Leach said assurances had been issued that work would be finished by September this year.

"Two years ago at the meeting when we were told about the proposals for the reorganisation, we were assured it would be done by September 2000. We were told things would be in place and working."

Splitting a school over two sites and several mobile buildings will cause massive problems, he said. "Bolton Lane is a good three-quarters of a mile away. Parents will have to drop children off at two different schools. With a split site you have to split the staff up too. It will have a serious effect on education, there will be a huge disruption."

Mark Newman, head teacher of Denholme Primary School, said the new arrangements were a huge disappointment.

"We knew it was very unlikely that all the building work would be completed by September 2000.

"But, there was an assumption, and schools were led to believe, that a significant amount of building work would be competed by this year.

"It is very disappointing. It is going to do nothing to raise standards in this authority."

Ian Murch, Bradford's executive member of the National Union of Teachers, said the classroom crisis was not totally the Council's fault since the Government had spent so long agreeing the programme leaving Bradford little time to complete the project.

"The government gave them the go-ahead and imposed an impossible timescale."

Aside from the difficulties of teaching in mobile classrooms - which are typically too cold in winter and hot as ovens in summer - schools may simply not have the space to accommodate them.

Most schools already have mobile classrooms on site brought in to cope with the first stage of the shake-up in September. It too was plunged into crisis because not enough of the portable buildings were delivered in time.

Many schools will also have extension work earmarked during the year, which will mean land close to the main building is already reserved for development and can't take the new classrooms.

But Liz Metcalf, head teacher of Undercliffe Primary School, said: "There is no more room on our site for temporary classrooms. The only place they can put our mobile accommodation is where the middle school used to be but it is covered with rocks and rubbish.''

She said mobile classrooms were far from ideal, as staff and students end up split up and having to come out of their building to go to the hall or the dining room.

All but three secondary schools in the district could be forced to operate over two sites in September. Belle Vue Boys, the new Challenge College in Manningham and Wyke Manor are deemed to have sufficient room. However, the rest could be forced to move into nearby middle schools while work on the main site is completed.

Last week, the T&A revealed that six secondary schools, Beckfoot, Parkside, Salt, Grange, Queensbury and Tong, were being placed on an accelerated building programme.

David Horn, head teacher of Beckfoot Grammar, said he understood schools on the accelerated programme would be ready in time for September. If not, pupils from Beckfoot will be forced to go to Gilstead Middle for classes and pupils at Salt Grammar in Baildon would have to go to Wycliffe Middle in Saltaire.

Councillor David Ward, Liberal Democrat education spokesman, said the whole reorganisation was turning into a shambles. "There will be so many mobile classrooms that schools in Bradford will look like shanty towns. Decisions are being made on the hoof and at the end of the day the people who will end up suffering is the kids."

Conservative councillor Richard Wightman said so far the new schools only existed on paper. "I have started calling it the Bradford Virtual Schools Programme."

Tory colleague Councillor Chris Hopkins said he did not believe 70 mobiles would be enough. Some 200 were installed in September to cope with the first wave of the reorganisation. "I think that we will be looking at another 200 at least," said Coun Hopkins.

Council leader Coun Greenwood said the document outlined contingency plans, but confirmed that most of what it detailed would become a reality. "We have to be confident that we know what arrangements are being made to deliver the education of the children come September.

"We have written to heads and chairs of governors to consult on contingency plans. The majority of the plans will happen, but some may not."

Coun Greenwood said schools should not be surprised at the arrangements. The council had never guaranteed that the whole building programme would be completed by this year. "We have always known that it is a three-year programme.

"There seems to be a wish that people have that a £120 million project will come out of thin air. We have always known that there will be interim arrangements."

Coun Greenwood said the arrangements would be for one year only while building work was completed. "Temporary will mean temporary." He said the Council was still in negotiations with the Department of Education and Employment over the £47 million shortfall.

The appointment of a Managing Partner, who will oversee the building project is expected in early March, he said.

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