Judgement day has finally arrived for schools under a district-wide sweeping shake-up. Communities have reacted with joy and anger at the latest proposals
The Telegraph & Argus can reveal exclusively that the recommendations in the change from the three-tier to two-tier education to go to the education committee on September 8 include:
Closing Burley CE First, but building a new school on the site of Burley Middle School.
Saving Shipley CE First and turning it into a primary school.
A new CE secondary school to be built at Thorn Garth, replacing the site suggested at Cote Farm in Thackley.
Greengates and Thackley will not now merge, but become primary schools on their existing sites with an entirely new building for Greengates and refurbishment for Thackley.
The full list of changes as Bradford reverts from a three tier to two tier education system will not be made public until Friday.
However, the controlling Labour group has already given it's support to the proposals - prompting a mixed reaction from parents and governors.
Chairman of governors at Greengates First School, Jane Riley, said it was good news the community had been waiting for.
She said: "The governors are truly delighted with the recommendation. It reflects the needs of the community. I know the parents will be absolutely delighted."
She also welcomed plans to build an entirely new secondary school on the Thorn Garth site - originally earmarked for land at Cote Farm.
Explaining the change of plan Councillor Suzanne Rooney - chairman of the review team - said: "The land at Cote Farm has been set aside for housing. We would have had to go through a lengthy and costly process to acquire it. We already own Thorn Garth and it is a third of a mile nearer to Ravenscliffe and Greengates."
But Dominic Sheeran, chairman of the Ravenscliffe and Greengates Association, said the proposal had not really changed.
He said: "For Cote Farm read Thorn Garth. We would rather see a new school established on the site of Eccleshill Upper. I'm sure many parents will be waiting to hear whether there will be a further consultation period on the move to the Thorn Garth site."
Norman Free, governor at Woodend Middle School - which was expected to move to Cote Farm along with Eccleshill Upper - added: "I told the education authority months ago that it would not be able to afford the land at Cote Farm.
"Thorn Garth is as bad, if not worse than Cote Farm. It's still no use to the people of Shipley east. The only way we're going to sort this mess out is to get someone from the DFEE to come and take a look for themselves."
Full list of Bradford's upcoming school changes.
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