One of the most over-subscribed schools in Bradford will face major changes if Bradford Council agrees to scrap middle schools tomorrow.

Mandale Middle will be one of the schools to be radically affected by the biggest schools shake-up for more than 30 years.

The proposed change to drop the three-tier schools structure in favour of the widely-used primary and secondary school system follows a massive ballot of parents, in which almost two-thirds out of a total of 20,000 were in favour of it.

Many upper and first school heads have welcomed the moves.

They argue that the sale of those school sites no longer required will help to meet the costs of a much-needed two-tier system.

Neil Donkin, head of Eccleshill Upper school, said: "I think it will raise standards because structure has been in the way over the years and standards have suffered as a result."

Under a two-tier system about 155 primary schools and about 30 secondary schools will be needed out of the district's 246 first, middle and upper schools.

Mandale Middle is likely to be one of the schools which will have to be adapted either as a primary or secondary. But its head teacher Mike Joyce said he feared councillors had not realised scale and cost of making those changes.

"If we become a secondary, we would have to double in size," he said. "This building would be totally inadequate and, basically, it would have to be gutted.

"We would need a new wing of design and technology workshops and science labs, we would need bigger classrooms, bigger furniture and cloakrooms, bigger sports facilities. If it was to become a primary, we would have to change our facilities to cope with the younger age range. "

"It is worrying that no-one seems to know the actual costs nor has anyone considered the hidden costs or the human costs.

"Teams of staff who have spent years working successfully together will be split up, schools will lose their specialist teachers and a whole generation of children will be affected by the changes."

The education authority will also have to consider plans for 600 houses on the nearby Westwood Hospital site which could house an extra 180 children in the area who will need to be accommodated in schools.

l Bradford Council's Tory leader, Councillor Margaret Eaton, today said the plans to axe middle schools were a recipe for turmoil and upheaval with pupils in her Bingley ward being some of the worst affected.

But education committee chairman Councillor Jim Flood challenged the authority's opposition groups to come up with alternative proposals to the planned re-structure which he said had been recommended after a thorough review.

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