The proposed closure of a school in Greengates has been branded a waste of money after more than £100,000 was recently spent refurbishing classrooms.

Brookfield First School is to close under the plans to convert all Bradford schools into primary and secondary.

Children from the Greengates and Ravenscliffe estates will be served by only one primary school on the current Eccleshill North Middle site.

But teachers and parents at Brookfield have been astounded by the proposals to close their school which comes only two weeks after decorators finished a major overhaul.

Headteacher Janet Hardman said: "The education authority asked the Government's permission to spend £107,000 on refurbishing our school and making the grounds more secure. Now it is closing us down.

"I wonder what the Govern-ment is going to think of that. That money could have been used elsewhere. But if they close us that money will have gone to waste.

The refurbishment and extra security at the school included:

full perimeter fencing to deter vandals

the replacement of all windows with double-glazing

all classroom ceilings were lowered to improve heating and insulation at the school

new carpets

complete new interior decor.

Bradford's education committee chairman Jim Flood said he could not comment on individual schools pending the education committee's meeting on April 7 and the third public consultation period that will take place on May 29.

But he added: "By and large, recent repairs and refurbishment have been confined to health and safety works.

"We also have to remember that school premises are still going to be used for at least another 18 months before the implementation of the proposals would begin."

Mrs Hardman said that the school was in favour of the two-tier system and had hoped to become a primary for children aged four to 11.

"I don't want this to look as though it is coming from me because of my personal position but the staff are just so upset about the closure," she said.

"We are all in favour of two-tier because of the continuity it would give us with the curriculum. We accepted that schools would close.

"But they have just spent £107,000 on us. The parents, the staff and the children now have a real pride in the school and we just cannot understand why it is going to close.

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