PUPILS at Ilkley Grammar School face around 18 months of disruption as building and other work takes place to accommodate a further 400 pupils.

The change from a three to a two-tier education system in Bradford means that the school numbers will rise from around 1,000 to 1,400 pupils.

Grammar School governor and Ilkley District Councillor Martin Smith said that the school was currently in negotiation with local authority

education officers about the cost of the work that needs to be done to accommodate the extra numbers.

"We know that it is going to be above the budget they anticipated of £2.3 million because of the peculiarities of the site," said Coun Smith.

As part of the planned building programme school staff and governors are trying to rationalise the site and cut down on the amount of time lost for teachers and pupils getting from one classroom to another.

All the science laboratories will be grouped together as will other departments such as humanities and languages.

To accommodate the extra pupils existing blocks on the lower part of the site will be extended and a play area for younger pupils will be created at the rear of Ilkley Health Centre on Springs Lane.

Governors are hopeful that a bus lay-by can be created on Cowpasture Road which will solve the nuisance caused to residents of Wheatley Lane where the buses park now.

In the Bradford district as a whole it is estimated that the cost of upgrading schools to take additional pupils would come to £160 million, but Coun Smith says that the figure was likely to rise.

A special team of officers has been set up by Bradford Council to oversee the scheme.

It will consult with staff, headteachers and governors and then put recommendations before the resources and buildings sub-committee.

At a meeting last week councillors were told that the sheer volume of work will necessitate forming a separate group.

Around 162 schools in the district will need building work carried out to accommodate pupils.

Coun Smith said the plans and costing for Ilkley Grammar School were still being worked out by Bradford Council officers so no date had been set for when work will begin.

During the building phase, pupils will be housed in more temporary classrooms and the redundant Middle School site will be used as a temporary lower school for the Grammar School.

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