THE COUNCILLOR in charge of children's services at Bradford Council has warned that the school places crisis blighting parts of the city and neighbouring districts is now worse than at any time he could remember.

Cllr Ralph Berry put the blame on the Government for cancelling a private finance scheme which would have eased the pressure on both primary and secondary school places in the city.

The school places spotlight yesterday fell on a nursery and infant school where temporary buildings have had to be installed to cope with a ‘bulge’ class this year.

Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Tristram Hunt, visited Guiseley Nursery and Infant School to see temporary arrangements that have had to be made this year to cope with pupil levels and to speak to staff, governors and parents from the area about school funding problems.

This year the school has taken in 116 four-year-olds but has had to install new buildings and hire extra staff to cope.

Mr Hunt blamed the Government policy of funding free schools in areas where there was sufficient capacity, leaving oversubscribed areas struggling.

The decision to build new schools had been removed from local authorities, he said, with a pledge by Labour to restore that decision making responsibility to councils.

“My concern is that the Government has mis-allocated money to its free school programme, putting extra money into areas with surplus places. Meanwhile, children are feeling the pinch in these areas,” he said.

Cllr Berry blamed the current Government for scrapping a private finance initiative programme that would have seen Ilkley Grammar School rebuilt and helped meet demand for primary school places.

The lack of places in Bradford schools created the dilemma where some complaints came from parents who could not get their children into their choice of school, with others objecting to class sizes creeping up over 30 pupils.

"It is very, very tight for school places," he said, "We are trying to expand places for the basic need of a growing population.

"I have never known it to be so bad, I get complaints about not being able to get kids into schools, then complaints about numbers rising above 30 in classes.

"What I would remind people is that this Government cancelled a programme that would have rebuilt Ilkley Grammar School and provided primary school places," he said.

Bradford Council's Conservatives spokesman on education, Cllr Debbie Davies, said the problem was acknowledged and action was being taken to improve the situation.

She believed one solution was to improve the city's less popular schools, which could have the effect of reducing demand on those which currently have the best educational results.

Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for the area, Jamie Hanley, said the local authority had found the best outcome possible in Guiseley, by working with the school and the community.