Keighley pupils face massive changes in their education despite protests from parents, teachers and governors.

On Tuesday morning members of Bradford council's education committee will decide the future of hundreds of schools in the Keighley and Bradford district. In the afternoon a full council meeting will finally decide the outcome of the controversial plans.

Under the final proposals for a new two-tier pattern of primary and secondary schools, all nine middle schools in Kei-ghley are to close. First schools are to become primary schools and upper schools will become secondary schools.

Other revised changes affec-ting Keighley pupils include:

turning Utley First School into a primary school on a new site in Cartmel Road, Keighley

reducing the capacity of pupils at the new Worth Valley primary school from 630 to 420

cutting the pupil capacity at Oakbank School from 1,500 to 1,350

establishing a new 900-pupil secondary school on the site of Parkside Middle School, Cullingworth.

These proposals look set to remain unaltered.

Keighley's Oakbank School is to defy Bradford and send its own plans to the Government. Governors, who have fought for Oakbank to be linked up with Bront Middle as a split-site upper school, are furious. They accuse the council of not addressing the key issues for Keighley children.

Cllr Susanne Rooney, deputy chairman of education and lead member on the review team, welcomes the proposals. She says: "We have consulted, we have listened to what people had to say, we have discussed issues with heads and governors and we have spoken to community groups."

a final decision will be made by the Secretary of State for education early next year.

Full details, page 9

Letters and Opinion,

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