Bingley children could be turned away from the town's grammar school because of the decision to scrap middle schools.

Headteacher of Bingley Grammar School John Patterson said if the school was to take children from 11 rather than 13 as at present - without the addition of new buildings - youngsters from the school's existing catchment area would miss out.

And he said a catchment area reduction could jeopardise the future of the sixth form. Mr Patterson, who took control of the school last year, said: "We want to maintain our catchment area and the governors have no intention whatsoever of changing it.

"But if we become an 11 to 18 school and the buildings aren't expanded our catchment would have to reduce to make room."

Mr Patterson said the school in Keighley Road was "fit to burst" with 1,120 on roll - including 290 sixth formers - and already around 100 children were turned down each year who applied from outside the existing catchment. The grant-maintained school has the power to set its own catchment area.

But governors will not know until next month what Bradford Council's plans for the school are - or if they include a grant for new buildings. Mr Patterson said the shrinking of school years to make way for younger children could threaten the size of the school's sixth-form, making it less viable. He said: "Year 11 is the basis for our sixth form and if it was radically smaller we would have a problem.

"If that was the case this school would most likely oppose the Council's plans."

Councillor Margaret Eaton (Con, Bingley Rural) said parents would be "devastated" if the schools they had planned to send their children to were no longer available.

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